One Fist Short From Love
by Writer Of Worlds
Summary: Ryu is the newest addition to the Smash Mansion, and upon arrival, meets Little Mac. The two grew a strong bond, and they become friends…or are they? Ryu x Little Mac slash. Language, blood. COMPLETE!
1. The Invitation

**Title: One Fist Short From Love**

 **Fandom: Super Smash Bros.**

 **Rating: T**

 **Genre: Romance**

 **Summary: Ryu is the newest addition to the Smash Mansion, and upon arrival, meets Little Mac. The two grew a strong bond, and they become friends…or are they? Ryu x Little Mac slash. Language**

 **Pairings: Ryu x Little Mac slash**

 **WARNINGS: Language, slash.**

 **A/N: I just got Ryu as DLC, and MY GOSH is he awesome! I never played Street Fighter, so if he's OOC or something, let me know! Also, it took me a while to think of who to pair Ryu with, and upon looking at Little Mac…yeah. XD**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anyone in the SSB fandom.**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Invitation**

Ryu was confused. When he was traveling through the forest, a pigeon with an envelope tied to its leg flew over to him. Although he tried to shoo it away, it hovered in the air in front of him, flapping its wings to remain in place.

Assuming that the envelope was for him, he untied the string that bound the envelope to the pigeon's leg and ripped open the seal. Inside, there was a yellow letter with a strange ball-like item printed on the upper left corner. The letter read:

 _To Ryu:_

 _Congratulations! You have been selected to join the Super Smash Bros. Tournament! Meet new friends, fight to hone your skills, and win prizes! When you receive this letter, a portal will appear in front of you. That is where you will find the Smash Mansion._

 _We hope that you can join the Tournament and that you have a SMASHING time!_

 _\- Mario_

 _Mario…that name rings a bell._ The mention of a tournament intrigued the man.

When he placed the letter down, he saw the pigeon fly off into a portal that just appeared in front of him. Staring at the swirling portal, he hesitated.

 _Is this a trap by M. Bison? Or is this legit?_ he thought.

However, another thought hit him: he had been on this journey to become stronger. Perhaps this tournament could help him…

Sighing, he made his decision. He walked towards the portal, his guard up for whatever was thrown his way…

* * *

 **Constructive criticism is welcomed! :D**

 **Beta reader: h34rt1lly**


	2. Meeting Little Mac

**Chapter 2: Meeting Little Mac**

It was a dizzying trip for Ryu as he flew through the portal but eventually, he arrived in a grassy field. Behind him was a forest with vast trees, and in front of a small path between the trees, was a scale. There were numbers with points in the middle on top of the scale.

In front of the man was a massive mansion that was painted black. There were many windows on the exterior and there was a barred gate in front of the mansion. A wind vane with the same ball-like item was on top of the large house. There were four chimneys on each side of the roof. The two large doors were also painted black and there were stone stairs leading up to them. A cobblestone path trailed from the stairs to the front of the gate.

Ryu kept his guard up as he opened the gates. Surprisingly, they were unlocked. _This is suspicious…_ Ryu thought as he cautiously walked up the path.

He opened the door and the first thing he saw was…darkness.

"Hello?" he called out, looking around as he felt his way.

That was when the lights were turned on and many people, along with some strange creatures, popped out.

"WELCOME TO SMASH!"

Ryu jumped when a short man with a red cap and blue overalls jumped in front of him, and he attacked him with a punch in the face.

"OW!" the man cried.

Ryu, upon examining the man, recognized him.

"Mario?" he asked.

Mario, despite the harsh punch that hit him, simply smiled. "Wow…all of those stories are true. You send out a nice punch!"

Ryu placed his hand on the back of his head, blushing in embarrassment. "Sorry."

"Hahaha!" Mario chuckled. "It's fine! Lucina was right; we need to stop making surprise parties like that before someone gets hurt…"

Ryu chuckled slightly in response.

"Anyway…I hope you enjoy your stay here!" Mario said with a smile.

The other people and creatures stared at the man. Many of them were quite happy to meet the famous Ryu, while others…not so much. The individuals who were most notably unhappy, were Ganondorf, Bowser and Bowser Jr., and Wario.

"The hell is this guy doing here? Don't we have enough third party people already?!" Wario shouted, sticking his tongue out.

Mario glared at him. "Wario!"

Ryu ignored the fat man when a familiar blue robot rushed up to him.

"Ryu?! Is that you?!" the robot gasped.

Ryu smiled, recognizing him. "Mega Man! It's been so long."

"I know, right?" Mega Man smiled. "How are you doing?"

"Doing well. Been training," Ryu said.

Mega Man nodded. "You'll fit right in here. I'll show you around if you like!"

Ryu shook his head. "I'll be fine. If I'm lost though, I'll let you know."

With that, Ryu waved farewell to the Blue Bomber. After leaving to another room, he looked around the area he was in. It appeared to be the living room, judging by the television and the large green couch. The walls and ceiling were made of wood, and the massive rug spread all the way to the next room.

As he returned to the other room where the Smashers were, he overheard conversations about someone.

"Say, where's Little Mac?"

"I don't know. He's not one to be in parties like this."

 _Little Mac?_ Ryu thought as he grabbed a piece of cake and took a small bite. The taste of the coconut flavor hit his mouth and he nearly spat it out. However, thinking about the ones who had made it for him, he decided against it.

* * *

Once the partying was over and done with, Ryu began to wander around the Mansion. There were many hallways and there were wooden doors on each side of the man; someone had carved words into their surfaces, such as "Smash Room" and names of the other Smashers. The carpet was red, and the ceiling and walls were also wooden.

When he passed by a room called "Practice Room", he heard grunts and punching.

"Hm?" Ryu hummed as he turned to the door. Curious, he slowly opened it.

The Practice Room had blue walls, ceiling, and floor made out of tiles. On the walls were training equipment like boxing gloves and weights. There were blue mats on the floor.

On one mat, a short man was punching a sandbag with eyes. The man, who looked to be in his early to mid twenties,, had spiky black hair, and he was wearing green boxing gloves on his hands. He wore a black shirt and green shorts.

After he threw another punch at the bag, he stopped and turned to Ryu. "Who are you?" hHe asked.

"Ryu." Ryu said.

"Ryu, huh?" The man tilted his head.

Ryu approached him, and he realized that the other man was…too short for someone his age.

"Hey…" Ryu said, chuckling as he placed his hand on his own head. Checking his height, he then placed his hand on the other man's head. "You're short," he commented.

The man's face turned red. "EXCUSE ME?!"

Suddenly, Ryu felt a sharp pain on his groin. He screamed, in an extremely high-pitched tone, and fell to the ground.

The man had punched him in the groin. He glared down at Ryu, his jaw tightly clenched. "Don't say anything about my height!" he yelled.

Ryu felt tears welling in his eyes from the pain. After the man's vehement statement, he left with a "hmph". Ryu stayed on the ground, trying to register what had just happened as pain flared up from his groin.

Mega Man walked in, gasping to see Ryu in pain. "Ryu! You okay?!" he cried.

Ryu, trying to recover, slowly got up. "Y-yeah…I was checking some guy's height and—"

"Little Mac's?" Mega Man chuckled. "I should've said something about him. He hates it when someone makes fun of his height. Samus did it once…big mistake."

"Well…lesson learned," Ryu noted to himself.

Mega Man laughed. "Well…I'll show you your room. And…I'll ask Dr. Mario to check on you."

The two slowly walked out of the Practice Room, with Ryu limping due to the pain.

* * *

 **Constructive criticism is welcomed! :D**

 **Beta reader:** **h34rt1lly**


	3. Ryu's First Match

**Chapter 3: Ryu's First Match**

After Ryu recovered from his injury, Mega Man showed him his room. There were two beds with white, fluffy pillows and purple sheets on each side of the room. There was a small refrigerator at the other end of the area, and there were two wooden dressers near the beds.

Next to the bed on the left, there were boxing gloves hanging on the wall. There were also a variety of weight lifting equipment pieces strewn about.

Mega Man chuckled nervously upon realizing who was Ryu's roommate. "Uh…I think you got Little Mac as your roommate."

Ryu shrugged. "I'm sure that I'll be fine. It's as simple as not making fun of his height, right?"

Mega Man nodded. "Yup. Anyway…I hope to see you soon, Ryu!" With that, he waved farewell to the man.

Ryu sighed, sitting on his bed as he took off his red headband. Staring down at it, he began to think of home…

 _Ken, Chun-Li…I wonder how they're doing?_

Closing his eyes, he started to think of all the times the three were together, fighting in tournaments...

"HEY!"

Ryu jolted from his daydreaming. He turned to see the same, short man from earlier.

"Oh. Little Mac," he said, not minding Little Mac's tone.

"What are you doing here?!" Little Mac cried, his face red.

"Mega Man brought me here. We're roommates apparently," Ryu explained.

Little Mac stared at him. "Great…" he sighed, turning his back to him. "Just don't make fun of my height again. Or I'll punch you in the same place like before."

Ryu cringed, not wanting to think about the pain he felt earlier. "Note taken."

"Anyway…" Little Mac sat on his own bed, taking off his boxing gloves. "Whatcha doing in the Smash Mansion anyway?"

Ryu placed his hand on the back of his head. "Well…I was just invited."

"Invited, huh?" Little Mac asked as he grabbed a bar of chocolate from his pocket. Opening the wrapping, he began to eat it. "I thought that Master Hand was done with giving out invitations."

Ryu shrugged. "Apparently not."

"Well…welcome to Smash, I guess," Little Mac said, finishing his bar of chocolate and throwing the empty wrapper in the small trash can.

"You guess? Still salty from me calling you—" Before Ryu could say any more, Little Mac glared at him. Ryu immediately shut his mouth again.

Little Mac sighed. "Yeah. I guess so."

Ryu shook his head, amused by this man.

Then, a loud, booming voice was heard over the intercom.

"EVERYONE GATHER AROUND THE SMASH ROOM FOR A NEW MATCH! THE FIGHTERS ARE…RYU! AND…LITTLE MAC!"

Ryu smirked. _My first match…_

Tying his headband back on around his forehead, he looked down at Little Mac. "Looks like we're going to fight after all."

Little Mac's expression then mirrored Ryu's. "I'll show you what I'm made of," he taunted, chuckling.

* * *

The two entered the Smash Room, where there were bleachers full of the other Smashers. There were cheers all around, most of them calling Ryu's name. There was a large screen in the front. Another screen, which was just a hologram with a variety of stages showing, was near it. There, on a director-like chair, was a pair of large, gloved hands. There were spotlights on the ceiling that were shining down onto the screens.

Ryu gazed around in amazement. He'd seen tournaments with crowds and stages, but never one like this.

"WELCOME TO SMASH, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" One of the hands, who was shaking uncontrollably, called out. "IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER MATCH!"

The crowd roared.

"HERE WE HAVE…RYU FROM STREET FIGHTER!"

A light swiveled around to shine on Ryu and the man closed his eyes tightly. The crowd cheered again. Ryu opened his eyes once more and he smiled.

"AND…LITTLE MAC FROM PUNCH-OUT!"

Another light shone on Little Mac, and the younger male waved at the crowds.

"SHOW 'EM WHAT YOU GOT, MAC BABY!" a voice yelled from the crowd.

Little Mac waved at a particularly fat man with a darker skin tone, who was waving back.

"Wish me luck, Doc!" Little Mac called.

Ryu and Little Mac walked towards the hologram screen.

"Now…the two will fight in the Omega stage, Battlefield!" the other hand shouted.

The crowd once again cheered.

Ryu watched as Little Mac placed his hand on a picture of a small battlefield with two platforms. Then, an omega symbol appeared, and a portal opened up on the hologram.

The two fighters walked into the portal…and they were teleported to a large platform without the smaller platforms.

"THREE…"

Ryu got into his fighting stance.

"TWO…"

Little Mac placed his fists up, ready to strike once the timer runs out.

"ONE…"

The two stared at each other, both ready to fight.

"GO!"

Little Mac rushed towards Ryu. In preparation, Ryu crouched and began to charge up his Focus Attack. When Little Mac was close enough, Ryu sent out a powerful punch to his gut. Black aura came out of his fist as Little Mac fell to the ground.

This was Ryu's chance. He charged up a kick and his foot met Little Mac's face. The boxer grunted in pain as he flew slightly into the air.

Ryu tried to use his Tatsumaki Senpukyaku, but he barely missed Little Mac's head and the boxer took the opportunity to grab him, retaliating with a punch. He then threw Ryu to the ground and Ryu bounced up into the air.

 _He's tough…_ Ryu thought as he landed back on the ground.

Little Mac attempted to strike him in mid-air, but Ryu managed to use Shakunetsu Hadouken to burn him up. Little Mac fell back to the ground, and Ryu used another Shakunetsu Hadouken to hit him again.

However, it missed, and Little Mac got back on his feet. Ryu rushed towards him and sent a flying kick at him. The boxer cried out as he flew through the air. He jumped back down on the ground, and the two rushed towards each other.

Ryu stopped suddenly and when Little Mac got close enough to him, Ryu did a short elbow hit and Little Mac was once again sent flying.

When Little Mac went back to the ground, he got up and ran back over to Ryu, sending a punch in the other fighter's direction. The older man slid out of the way and got behind Little Mac.

Unfortunately, Little Mac turned around and struck Ryu with a flurry of punches. With the final punch, Ryu went flying.

Ryu hit the ground and next thing he knew, Little Mac was above him. He shielded himself from another flurry of Little Mac's attacks. As soon as Little Mac stopped, Ryu punched him into the air.

When the boxer returned to the ground, Ryu grabbed him, and after kneeing him a few times, he kicked Little Mac back up into the air.

Little Mac returned to the ground once again and Ryu attempted to use Shoryuken, but he missed and Little Mac grabbed him and punched him in the face. He then threw the older man up.

When Ryu fell back to the ground, Little Mac sent out a vicious punch which missed Ryu by just a hair.

Ryu charged up his Focus Attack again and punched the boxer in the gut. Little Mac said nothing as he fell to the ground, hunched over in pain.

Ryu then sent another flying kick at the boxer and Little Mac was sent offscreen. He screamed as an explosion was heard.

"ONE STOCK LEFT FOR LITTLE MAC!" a voice boomed.

Ryu saw Little Mac returning from a glowing platform and the boxer returned to the fray.

When Ryu approached him, ready to strike him again, Little Mac once again grabbed him, punched him, and threw him up.

As soon as Ryu hit the ground, Little Mac began assaulting him with a series of punches, sending him flying almost off the stage.

However, Ryu jumped back onto the platform and grabbed Little Mac. After kneeing him once, he threw him down onto the ground.

Little Mac recovered quickly and when Ryu was about to strike him, Little Mac ducked to the side and sent a quick air punch at his face.

Ryu recovered quickly and when Little Mac started to charge up his next punch, Ryu got up and swiped his feet under the boxer's, knocking him down.

However, Little Mac rolled behind him and with another powerful punch, made Ryu fly off the stage and offscreen.

Ryu returned from a floating platform, ready to fight once more.

"ONE STOCK LEFT FOR RYU! Oooooh, ladies and gentlemen, this is a close fight!" the voice boomed again.

Ryu jumped back to the main platform and ran forward to Little Mac. The two duked it out near the edge with punches and kicks flying through the air. As they edged closer to the ledge, a Smash Ball appeared over their heads. Little Mac was the first one to see it and he rushed towards it, trying to break it.

"Huh?" Ryu asked. However, realizing that the item was important, he also attempted to grab the ball, only for Little Mac to break it open with a final punch. His eyes began to glow and a strange, white aura surrounded him.

"OH NO!" the hands cried simultaneously. One of them then called out, "LITTLE MAC HAS THE SMASH BALL! RYU'S IN DEEP TROUBLE NOW!"

Little Mac then raised his arms and the glow around him intensified.

"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!"

With a loud cry, Little Mac transformed into a bigger version of himself, Giga Mac. He smirked down at Ryu, who attempted to kick him to no avail.

"Who's short now?!" Giga Mac called as he sent out a much stronger punch to Ryu.

Ryu screamed and he was sent flying offscreen again.

"GAME!" the hands announced.

Little Mac returned to his normal self and he was sent to the middle platform. Doc jumped into the arena, grabbing Little Mac's arm and raising it up.

"That gold is all yours, Mac!" Doc cried, cheering him on as Little Mac posed for victory.

Ryu was in the background, clapping for Little Mac with his eyes closed, as he reflected on the fight. _He's a formidable fighter…I shouldn't have underestimated him…_ Ryu thought.

With that, they were sent back to the Smash Auditorium and Little Mac was off to the side, speaking to Doc.

"Hey." Ryu waved at the two.

Little Mac turned and smiled. "Good game out there, Ryu."

Ryu nodded. "You did well. I respect that. And…" the older man rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry for making fun of your height."

"And sorry for punching you…er…there," Little Mac apologized.

"Apology accepted." Ryu smiled.

One of the hands, named Master Hand, flew towards Little Mac, holding golden coins. "Here's your prize!" he exclaimed.

"Thank you," Little Mac said, taking the coins.

Master Hand turned to Ryu, giving him silver coins. "Better luck next time."

"It's quite fine." Ryu nodded as he took the coins.

Once the fighting was said and done, Ryu and Little Mac walked out of the auditorium.

"So, uh…" Ryu tried to say.

"Hm?" Little Mac hummed.

"I hope we get along for now. Even though our first encounter was…not so pleasant."

"Same, Ryu." Little Mac nodded, smiling. "Say, I'm starving. Want to grab some lunch?"

Ryu nodded. Food would be good for him after a match. The two headed out to the Smasherteria, chatting the whole way there.

* * *

A strange man wearing a dark-colored cape watched the two from a screen. Beside him were two large men, their gazes focused on the glowing monitor.

"So…Ryu joined this Smash Tournament, huh?" the man with the cape said, smirking. "Perhaps I could get more data from him…"

* * *

 **Constructive criticism is welcomed!**

 **Beta reader: h34rt1lly**


	4. Growing Friendship

**Chapter 4: Growing Friendship**

Little Mac raised an eyebrow as he watched Ryu scarf down his chocolate muffin. After he finished, Ryu grabbed some bread next and shoved it in his mouth. The boxer's nose scrunched up; he didn't even touch his own food since he was too busy watching the older man eat.

 _He sure has an appetite,_ Little Mac thought.

Ryu's voice interrupted Little Mac's thoughts. "Hey."

Little Mac whipped his head around to look at Ryu, whose gaze was fixated on Little Mac's food.

"You going to eat that?" Ryu asked, pointing at the burger that sat on the boxer's tray.

Little Mac nodded, forcing himself to smile. "Uh, yeah! I'll…I'll just—" he stuttered before grabbing his burger and taking a bite. The taste of the ketchup, mustard, and meat hit his mouth and he groaned at the delicious mixture of flavors. He was glad that Ryu had asked before taking the burger because he'd actually wanted to eat it.

Ryu shrugged, indifferent, as he continued to stuff his face.

As the two ate, Little Mac asked, "So uh…where you from?"

Ryu stopped slurping his noodles, a strand still dangling from his mouth, when he turned to face Little Mac. "Streef fither," he answered with his mouth full.

Little Mac's forehead scrunched up as his eyebrows lowered, his nose wrinkled in disgust. "Don't talk with your mouth full," he reprimanded him.

Ryu finished slurping up the noodles and he repeated, "I'm from Street Fighter."

Little Mac raised an eyebrow. "Street Fighter? Never heard of such a world. Do you go out in the street and beat up random people?"

Ryu chuckled, as a smile spread across his face. "Well, not really," he answered. "There were tournaments for fighters all around the world, including me. What about you?"

Little Mac took another bite of his burger and chewed it completely, swallowing it before he replied, "I'm from Punch-Out. I'm just a boxer who just…well, boxes to win championships."

"Ah, I see…" Ryu said, nodding.

They ate the remainder of their meal in silence, rising at the same time to walk out of the Smasherteria.

* * *

The two walked down the hallway in silence. Little Mac was panting and pulling at the sleeves of his shirt in an attempt to cool himself down. He stopped walking to wipe off the sweat that was dripping down his face.

Ryu stopped walking and turned to face the boxer. "You all right, Mac?" Ryu asked.

Little Mac glanced over at Ryu. "Y-yeah! Just—" Little Mac tried to respond, but Ryu interrupted.

"You're sweating. Are you sure you're okay?" Ryu raised an eyebrow, his voice filled with worry.

Little Mac nodded. "Yeah. Of course I'm fine! It's just...hot in here," he grabbed the collar of his black shirt and pulled it slightly to prove his point.

Ryu nodded in understanding. "Yeah, it is kind of hot in here," he agreed, untying his wet headband and staring down at it. "Do they even have any air conditioning here?"

Little Mac laughed and replied, "We do, but thanks to Kirby and Wario the other day, they're still broken."

Ryu chuckled as he tied his headband back around his forehead. "That sucks," he commented.

There was awkward silence between the two until Little Mac spoke up. "Say...were you holding back in our fight?"

Ryu stared at him, one of his eyebrows raised. "No. Why?" He wondered where the boxer was going with this.

Little Mac placed his hand at the back of his head as he asked, "Well...wanna spar tonight before dinner?"

Ryu grinned, nodding. "Of course."

"Good," Little Mac nodded as well. "I'll be waiting there."

* * *

It was sunset outside the Smash Mansion; the low sun's muted rays tinting the sky various shades of orange and turning the clouds a blood red. They filtered down over the Mansion, transforming its facade from the usual ebony color into a softer, burnished shade.

Ryu headed over towards the 'Outside Battlefield', which was a rectangular arena with compacted dirt as its surface. A Smash Ball symbol had been painted on the dirt, its white lines faded from the constant sparring that took place there. Surrounding the field were wooden benches placed here and there along the outer edge, for spectators to witness the sparring matches if they wished. Because of the time of day, the benches were currently unoccupied and Ryu spotted a lone figure, Little Mac, waiting at the field as he'd said he would be.

As Ryu neared the edge of the field, he could see that Little Mac had already started practicing, his fists flying as he punched Sandbag over and over again and after sending it soaring through the air with a final punch, he noticed Ryu behind him and turned around. "Ah, there you are," he said, smiling.

"Hey," Ryu greeted. "So, ready to spar?"

Little Mac nodded. "Of course."

The duo walked to the center of the arena and stood on opposite sides of the center of the Smash Ball image. Little Mac raised his gloved fists up and asked, "Ready?"

Ryu got into his fighting position. "Ready."

Little Mac lunged towards him, his arm extended out to the side, his fist heading straight for Ryu's face. Ryu sidestepped out of the way and swiped his feet under Little Mac, causing the boxer to fall to the ground, his jaw clenched in pain.

When Ryu began to throw fast punches however, Little Mac rolled out of the way and got up from the ground. Ryu rushed towards him and attempted to kick him but Little Mac placed his fists up, blocking every hit.

Ryu then grabbed Little Mac and kneed him before throwing him across the field. Little Mac hit the ground hard but quickly recovered and rushed back at Ryu. Before Ryu could defend himself, Little Mac sent a wicked punch to Ryu's chest.

"OOF!" Ryu grunted, falling to the ground.

"Had enough?" Little Mac taunted with a grin plastered on his face.

Ryu looked up at him and smirked. "Not yet!"

Ryu jumped up from the ground and with a spinning kick, struck Little Mac in the face. The boxer hit the ground on his back and before Ryu could punch him again, Little Mac hopped to his feet and crouched, swiped his fist under Ryu's feet, knocking Ryu to the ground.

Little Mac attempted to grab him then punch him but Ryu rolled out of harm's way, and as soon as he got up from the ground, Ryu retaliated by kicking him in the face.

"GAH!" Little Mac cried out as he was sent flying. The boxer then landed on his feet and before Ryu could land another hit, Little Mac got up and he sent a powerful punch at Ryu's face. It was Ryu who went flying this time and he hit the ground with a resounding thud.

Little Mac stood over Ryu, both of their chests heaving as they fought to catch their breaths, their hearts pounding from the intense match. Both of them were drenched in sweat and beads of moisture lined Little Mac's forehead, mirrored by matching drops falling down Ryu's face.

When Ryu attempted to get up, Little Mac extended his arm for Ryu to grab. "Good job," the boxer complimented with a smile.

Ryu's expression mirrored Little Mac's as he grabbed the boxer's outstretched hand. When Little Mac pulled him up from the ground he commented, "You did well too, you know. I respect that."

Little Mac placed his gloved hand on the back of his head, blushing. "Thanks…"

When they heard a bell ringing from the Mansion, they both knew that it was dinnertime.

"Well then," Little Mac said as he took off his gloves. "Let's go eat. All that sparring worked up an appetite!"

Ryu chuckled as the two walked back toward the Mansion.

* * *

The glow from the screen reflected back onto the man's face, causing it to turn an unnaturally pale shade. He watched the images of Ryu and Little Mac, trekking back towards the Mansion, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

He pressed a button on the console in front of him and the camera feed switched to a list of statistics for Ryu. A mockup of the martial artist sat beside the numbers and the man placed a finger on his chin.

"Ryu seems to have grown stronger since the last time we met…" the man commented, chuckling evilly. "I just need some more data so I can decide whether I could use him...in the meantime though, I'll just have to keep an eye on him."

* * *

 **Constructive criticism is welcomed!**

 **Beta reader: h34rt1lly**


	5. Team Match

**Chapter 5: Team Match**

The night sky was darker than usual, the moon hiding behind the dark clouds and the few stars that were littered across the dark blue sky did little to illuminate the land below. The lack of light cast deep shadows across the Mansion's facade. Tonight's moon was a crescent shape…a shape that Ryu hated.

Within the Mansion, in Ryu and Little Mac's room, Ryu twisted and turned in his bed, his eyes closed and beads of sweat on his face. The martial artist grunted, as if fighting against something.

A nightmare…

* * *

" _KEN!" Ryu yelled as the caped figure threw his best friend to the side like a ragdoll._

 _When Ryu met up with Ken before the match, the blond had been acting strange. In the moment right before his friend attacked him,Ryu looked into his eyes and saw that Ken's irises were red, his pupils shrunk._

 _Ken didn't hold back in his attacks and so Ryu had to respond in kind, trying his hardest not to actually injure his friend. After Ryu defeated Ken, the caped figure appeared._

" _Who…are…you?!" Ryu growled, his hands balled up into fists and his jaw clenched._

 _The man chuckled evilly. "You're as strong as I hoped, Ryu! Ken was too afraid that you would be a master, and that he wouldn't. I gave him the great power that he sought, but at the cost of his mind."_

 _Ryu's eyes widened upon hearing the last bit. "What?!"_

 _The man grinned at Ryu, the corners of eyes crinkling. It was an eerie sight, as his lips were pulled back into something more akin to a sneer than a true smile. "Now it's your turn! Prepare to be seduced…by my Psycho Power! I will reveal your dark nature!"_

 _Ryu growled and rushed towards the man with his fist up, ready to strike him down. "You'll pay for what you've done!"_

 _However, the man grabbed his fist in mid-punch, stopping him. Before Ryu could do anything else, the man's eyes glowed a bright red and Ryu felt an invasive presence creeping upon the edge of his mind. He lost control of his senses, one by one, as electricity arced from the caped man's eyes and into Ryu's. A spike of pain shot through his mind and Ryu screamed, holding his head with his hands as his eyes began to glow red, losing control of himself._

" _GWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed before gritting his teeth— not from the pain of his mind being controlled, but from pure anger._

 _His free will was replaced with the feeling that he needed to destroy everything in his path…_

* * *

"AAAH!" Ryu screamed as he jolted awake. Sweat dripped down his face and his heart pounded in his chest. His eyes darted around, inspecting his surroundings, and he sighed with relief when he realized he was still in his and Little Mac's room, with Little Mac sleeping on his own bed, facing away from him. Surprisingly, Ryu's screams hadn't appeared to wake the boxer.

 _Just a nightmare,_ Ryu thought, _but…Bison…and my evil self…_

He looked down at his hands, his mind racing. Thoughts of Bison and the evil version of himself refused to leave him alone and he found that he was unable to fall back asleep.

* * *

 _The next morning…_

Little Mac sat up in his bed, stretching and yawning as he tried to wake up. Rubbing his eyes, he turned his head to see Ryu, who was staring down at his hands.

"Ryu?" Little Mac called.

Ryu jumped and his head whirled around, just now realizing his friend was awake. "Oh, good morning Mac," he greeted.

"You're up early," Little Mac commented.

Ryu nodded and rubbed the back of his head. "Y-yeah…"

"Did you sleep well?" Little Mac asked, raising an eyebrow. From the looks of it, Ryu's eyes were bloodshot.

"Uh, yeah…" Ryu answered.

"But your eyes...it sure doesn't look like you did."

Ryu gulped down a lump in his throat and assured him, "I'll be fine." He got off his bed, his feet touching the ground. "Let's go get some breakfast," he suggested as he tied his trademark headband around his forehead.

* * *

Little Mac noticed that Ryu had been acting strange. As the boxer ate his pancakes, he watched Ryu, whose elbow was resting on the table as his chin rested on his palm, absentmindedly moving a grape around with a fork. Little Mac raised an eyebrow; Ryu should be stuffing his face by now.

"Hey..." Little Mac said hesitantly.

Ryu looked over at his friend. "Hm?" he hummed.

"Are you okay?" the boxer asked, his voice filled with concern.

Ryu nodded. "I am. Just not hungry."

"Are you sure?" Little Mac stared at him. Something was _definitely_ wrong.

"I said I'm fine," Ryu said, sighing.

"But aren't grapes your favorite?" Little Mac asked.

"Yeah, but like I said, I'm not hungry," Ryu answered. "Please, just leave me alone. I don't want to talk right now."

"Ryu," Little Mac spoke again, "something is wrong. You're my friend; I'm here if you need anything."

Ryu sighed as he rose from his seat. "Look, I just need to be alone." After that, Ryu walked out of the Smasherteria.

Little Mac watched the martial artist leave, his eyebrows low over his eyes.

* * *

Ryu sighed as he sat on the couch of the Smash Living Room, not paying attention to the television as it showed a football game.

 _Bison…I wonder if he's planning on doing anything else? If he is…_

"Hey."

Ryu's thoughts were interrupted when Little Mac called out. He turned his head to see the boxer, holding a plate with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on it.

"What do you want?" Ryu snapped at him, his teeth gritting. "I said that you should leave me alone."

Little Mac ignored him as he approached the man. "You missed lunch, so I saved something for you. You must be hungry after missing breakfast."

Ryu stared up at him. The boxer was right—he _was_ quite hungry, and his hunger wasn't exactly helping his mood.

The martial artist grabbed the plate from Little Mac's hands and muttered a "thanks", taking a bite out of the sandwich. The sweet, fruity flavor combined with the nutty flavor made the man groan.

Little Mac sat beside him on the couch, watching him eat. "So uh, how are you feeling?"

Ryu took a few more bites of his sandwich before answering. "I'm all right. Sorry for snapping at you."

"It's all right," Little Mac said. "Llook, if you need someone to talk to, I'm your guy. Just don't be afraid to talk to me about anything."

Ryu nodded and after taking the last bite of his food, he turned to Little Mac and smiled at him. "Thank you, Mac. You're a good friend."

Little Mac returned the gesture.

That was when the intercom boomed out, "TIME FOR ANOTHER MATCH! RYU AND LITTLE MAC VS. MARIO AND LUIGI!"

Ryu smirked and he rose from the couch, tightening his headband. "Ready to team up in this match?"

Little Mac got up as well, nodding as an excited smile spread across his face. "Of course."

* * *

The two men, along with the Mario Bros., passed through the blue and purple portal, arriving in a grassy area with multiple platforms. In the background, there were waterfalls flowing down into the large river that snaked across the landscape. Stony walls held up the platforms, raising them up into the air and supporting them.

"THREE…"

Ryu and Little Mac readied themselves, their fists up and ready to fight.

"TWO…"

Mario and Luigi shifted into identical stances, their fists also up, though Luigi was shaking and his breathing hitched.

"ONE…"

The four stared each other down.

"GO!"

Little Mac rushed forward, punching Luigi into the air. As Mario ran to protect his brother, Ryu used a more powerful Hadouken to hit Mario, and the short man flew up to join his brother.

"Nice shot!" Little Mac called out to Ryu as he ran underneath the two brothers. With a flying punch, the two were sent farther into the air.

Ryu jumped up and with a flying kick, knocked Mario close to the edge.

"OOOOH!" Master Hand called out. "The Mario Bros. are struggling to fight Ryu and Little Mac!"

When Luigi landed on the ground, Ryu grabbed him by the throat and after kneeing him a couple of times, he threw him back down onto the ground and punched him in the face.

Luigi was once again sent flying. Mario recovered by grabbing the edge and pulling himself up, but Little Mac was waiting for him, and the boxer punched him close to defeat.

"THIS IS A GOOD GAME FOR RYU AND LITTLE MAC!" Master Hand cried out.

Luigi landed on his feet and with a Luigi Cyclone, trapped Ryu in his spinning, racking up his damage. When Luigi stopped, Ryu was sent flying.

"RYU!" Little Mac called out as he ran and punched Luigi in the face.

"Thanks!" Ryu shouted as he focused on Mario. The red plumber barely made it back but unfortunately, Ryu kicked him hard enough to send him offscreen.

"MARIO HAS BEEN DEFEATED! IT'S UP TO LUIGI!" Crazy Hand cried out.

"M-Mama mia!" Luigi gulped. He crouched down and began to charge himself up.

"NOW!" Ryu called out to Little Mac.

Before Luigi charged himself fully, Little Mac destroyed him with his famous Star Punch, and Luigi flew upwards, to his defeat.

"GAME!"

Ryu and Little Mac posed for victory, fist bumping each other. "That was a good fight," Ryu commented.

Little Mac smiled. "I'm surprised at how well you handled yourself, despite what was going on with you."

Ryu's eyes widened and his nightmare from the night before flashed through his mind.

 _Bison…my evil self…_

"Ryu?" Little Mac called out to him. "You all right?"

Ryu snapped out of his thinking and nodded. "Yeah. I am."

"You spaced out for a second," Little Mac pointed out, his eyebrows furrowed.

"I'll be fine, Mac," Ryu said as they and the Mario Bros. were brought back to the Smash Auditorium.

After the four congratulated each other and received their prizes, they went their separate ways. The nightmare continued to replay in Ryu's mind, his heart still racing each time.

Unbeknownst to either of them, the man who had been observing their last match had been watching this fight as well. As Little Mac and Ryu walked down the hallway of the Smash Mansion, the man broke out into a sinister smile.

"I was right," the man spoke, smirking. "Ryu has grown stronger since he came to that Smash Tournament."

"Boss?"

The man turned his chair to see two large men, one with a darker skin tone and another with long braided hair and a mask, their eyes trained on their leader. "You called?" the one with the mask asked.

The leader nodded. "Of course. Tomorrow, find the Smash Mansion and attack it. Capture Ryu alive."

The two men nodded, saluting. "Yessir."

* * *

 **Constructive criticism is welcomed!**

 **Beta reader: h34rt1lly**


	6. Vega and Balrog Appeared!

**Chapter 6: Vega and Balrog Appeared!**

Ryu held his hands under the stream of water coming from the sink, collecting a small pool in his palms. He splashed the frigid drops up and onto his face and the chilled temperature caused goosebumps to break out on his skin. The shock was a welcome wake up call.

After the Team Match, Ryu tried his hardest to get his mind off of that nightmare For some reason, he felt that something was terribly wrong; he had a gut-wrenching feeling that Bison could strike at any time.

He looked up at the mirror, gasping for breath.

That was when he saw red eyes staring back at him through the mirror, instead of his normal brown irises. In the reflection, Ryu's usual clothing was black instead of white and there was a large, gaping hole in his reflection's chest. Out of nowhere, the man in the mirror roared. Ryu gasped and staggered back from the mirror, his eyes wide and his mouth gaping open.

He blinked and by the time he looked at his reflection again, the darker version of himself was gone.

 _I probably need some sleep tonight…I'm starting to hallucinate,_ he thought. Wiping off his wet face with a towel, he went on his way.

Ryu walked down the hallway, breathing in deeply with his nose and letting it out in a loud exhale. Despite how hard he tried, he could not stop thinking of that nightmare.

Shaking his head to try to get rid of those thoughts, he decided to train in the Outside Battlefield as a distraction. As he grabbed the front door's handle, he heard a voice from behind him.

"Ryu?"

Ryu jumped and turned to see Little Mac, who had one eyebrow raised.

"Mac? What is it?" Ryu asked.

Little Mac shook his head. "Nothing really. I was wondering where you were off to."

"Just heading out to train for a bit."

"Oh, I see," Little Mac replied, his eyebrows furrowing just before he dropped his gaze to the floor.

"What?" Ryu asked.

"Well I was just...I mean, are you okay? I've been worried about you," Little Mac replied, his voice low.

"I'm all right," Ryu assured him, "just needed to get my mind off of…something."

Little Mac stared at Ryu. "What is that something?" he asked.

Ryu sighed. "I…don't want to talk about it."

Before Little Mac could protest, Ryu opened the door and walked out.

* * *

Out on the edge of the Mansion's grounds, at the Outside Battlefield, Ryu was practicing his moves on Sandbag, holding nothing back. His fists flew through the air, landing with a thud each time. His last kick connected with a loud thump and sent Sandbag flying into the air, falling back down to the ground on the other end of the field. His breath came in quick bursts and sweat dripped down his face as he stood there, staring at Sandbag off in the distance.

Wiping off the sweat from his face, the thoughts still remained.

"Damn…" Ryu cursed. "Why can't I get rid of this feeling?"

 _Rustle rustle._

Ryu's eyes widened upon hearing the noise. Turning, he saw the bushes moving.

"Who's there?" Ryu called out.

No response; just more rustling.

"Show yourself!" Ryu growled, his fists up and ready to fight.

Then, two large men jumped out of the bushes and lunged for Ryu. Just as they were about to grab him, he jumped back and out of the way, causing them to hit the ground instead. Ryu glanced down at them and recognized who they were.

 _Bison's henchmen…_

One of the men jumped back on his feet. Smirking down at Ryu, he held his gloved fists up.

"Balrog," Ryu growled.

"You seem more alert than you were, Ryu,." Balrog mocked.

"What do you want?!" Ryu yelled.

The other man, who was wearing a mask, got back up and spoke in an intimidating voice. "You."

"Huh?!" Ryu's eyes widened.

Before Ryu could make a move, Balrog rushed forward and uppercutted Ryu's chin, sending him flying before he hit the ground again.

The martial artist groaned as he attempted to get up, but the man wearing the mask, Vega, grabbed his arm and pulled him up.

"Not so strong now, are you?" Vega taunted.

Ryu struggled to stay awake, but the corners of his vision began to grow black.

"C'mon," Balrog said, "let's bring him back to Bi—"

"RYU!"

The two men heard a voice and before they realized what was happening, Little Mac rushed over to Vega and punched him in the stomach.

"GAH!" Vega cried, dropping Ryu.

Ryu fell to the ground like a ragdoll, and upon landing on his back, lost consciousness.

Little Mac stood in front of his friend, his feet planted shoulder-width apart in a protective stance. "What do you want with Ryu?!" he growled, his fists up and ready.

Balrog and Vega chuckled. "None of your business, little man," Balrog mocked. "We need him for someone."

Little Mac then lunged at Balrog. The larger boxer attempted to uppercut him but Little Mac ducked, and with his Star Punch, hit Balrog under his chin, sending the large boxer flying up into the sky.

Vega shook his head. "Balrog is such a weakling," he commented before he rushed towards Little Mac with his knuckle claws up and ready. As he slashed at him, Little Mac sidestepped out of the way. Just when Vega was vulnerable, the small boxer punched him in the gut.

"UGH!" Vega cried out, holding his abdomen.

Little Mac approached him, ready to strike him again, but Vega recovered and punched him in the face. Little Mac fell to the ground, holding his bleeding nose.

"How about that, shorty?!" Vega yelled as he approached him.

Before he could reach Little Mac however, a fireball hit him in the arm. The blazing ball singed the hairs off of his skin. "OUCH!" Vega screamed.

Little Mac looked up to see that the other Smashers had gathered around them, ready to fight off Vega. Mario stood just in front of the Smashers with his hand outstretched; obviously he'd been the one who threw the fireball.

"Little Mac! Stay back!" Mario called out as the Smashers rushed towards Vega.

Vega was unable to fight back as Sonic used his Spin Dash to knock him down. Pikachu was behind Vega when he fell to the ground and with his Thunder, shocked Vega and he was sent flying.

Like a game of pinball, Pit was waiting on the side and as soon as Vega was near, Pit grabbed his Upperdash Arm and sent Vega flying even higher.

"NEXT TIME! JUST YOU WAIT!" Vega screamed as he continued to soar even higher, disappearing into a twinkling star.

Little Mac got up and rushed to Ryu, his eyes wide and his eyebrows raised high.

"Are you okay, Mac?" Samus asked the boxer.

Little Mac did not respond to Samus' question as he called out, "Someone get him some medical attention!"

* * *

Ryu groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. When he did so, a bright light shone on his face, forcing him to close his eyes again. After a few seconds, Ryu opened them again. On the ceiling, there was a bright light hanging on one of the white tiles. He felt his head throbbing, and his headband was replaced with white bandages to stop the bleeding.

He heard voices from the side and he turned his head to see Little Mac and Dr. Mario speaking.

"Ah!" Dr. Mario gasped when he saw Ryu move. He turned to him and smiled. "I see you're awake now."

Little Mac sighed with relief. "Are you okay Ryu?" he asked.

Ryu nodded. "Y-yeah…just a little sore."

"You should stay here for a couple of days," Dr. Mario said, looking over his injuries. "Whatever those men did, they sure hurt you."

Little Mac gulped. What could had happened between Ryu and those two men?

Ryu looked down at his own body, seeing some cuts and bruises on himself.

"I'll watch him Doctor," Little Mac volunteered.

"You sure?" Dr. Mario asked.

Little Mac nodded. "Yeah. It was my fault that I didn't come sooner."

Ryu shook his head. "It's not your fault, Mac. I should've been more alert."

"But Ryu," Little Mac looked down, his eyes closed. "You're hurt! I should've stopped them sooner."

"Mac," Ryu smiled slightly, albeit with difficulty thanks to the injuries on his face, "you're not at fault. It was mine."

Dr. Mario was listening in, but he did not comment. "Well," he spoke up. "Mac, if something happens, please let me know." With that, Dr. Mario left.

Little Mac watched the Doctor leave and once the shorter man had walked out the door, he turned to Ryu. "Who were they? Why were they after you?"

Ryu gulped down a lump in his throat. He had been keeping his nightmare a secret from him, so he felt that it was time to tell him.

"Well…they work with someone named Bison, who has been after me for quite some time. Last time we met, Bison used my close friend to fight me…he'd been brainwashed."

Little Mac's eyes widened at the last bit. "Brainwashed?"

Ryu nodded. "Yes…I was forced to hurt him. Mac, I'm sorry that I haven't told you about this…"

Little Mac placed his hand on Ryu's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Better late than never, right?"

Ryu smiled, nodding. "Thanks, Mac…"

* * *

Bison watched the two from the screen. Knowing that his two henchmen had lost, he began to form a new plan to get Ryu's data.

"Ryu seems to have a…'friend'." Bison said. "Perhaps…I should study him as well. He could be of use…"

"Boss?"

Bison turned to see Balrog and Vega looking at him.

"What are you planning next?" Balrog asked.

"I just need to study this Little Mac person a bit more," Bison spoke, a smirk breaking out on his face., "He seems like such a formidable fighter, considering he is able to protect even Ryu...for now, though, we should wait…"

* * *

 **Constructive criticism is welcomed!**

 **Beta reader: h34rt1lly**


	7. A Gift

**Chapter 7: A Gift**

A few weeks had passed since the incident, and the duo became very good friends. They enjoyed spending time together, whether they were training or fighting in matches, and they were usually seen sparring in the Outside Battlefield in the evening.

Little Mac, however, grew to like Ryu as more than just a friend. He never admitted it to anyone in the Smash Mansion, not even to Doc, but he was actually gay. He had no romantic interests in women, even when he'd been younger, and he usually hung out with the males in the Mansion before Ryu came. For whatever reason, he decided not to come out of the closet yet.

Whenever the two hung out, Little Mac was always nervous, sweat dripping down his face which was usually red from blushing. Every time he spoke, he stuttered, his gaze always focused on the ground. When Ryu asked if he was all right, the boxer lied and said that he was just hot and needed to cool off for a little while.

Little Mac had yet to tell Ryu how he felt; he had that feeling that Ryu probably didn't feel the same way towards him…

One summer day, on a Saturday to be specific, Little Mac had just woken up, and he turned his head towards Ryu, whom he could see was still asleep.

 _He's been sleeping like a log after what happened a few weeks ago,_ Little Mac thought as he put on his black shirt, his green shorts, and his matching black shoes. Looking over at Ryu again, he blushed hard.

 _Those muscles…his cute snore…_ Little Mac thought. However, he shook his head to get rid of the thoughts, and sighed, his gaze fixated on his feet.

That was when an idea popped into his head. His eyes grew wide before a grin spread across his face. Grabbing all of his Smash Coins from his wallet, he quietly walked out of the room without waking Ryu.

* * *

The Smash Souvenir Shop had been boisterous since it first opened. Crowds of people rushed in to buy the hot sale items that were currently available, either for themselves or for a loved one. There were a variety of gifts that sat on the shelves: swords, tomes, headbands with Japanese symbols, and so on. Price tags were stuck on the shelves and the place had a welcoming air to it.

Little Mac walked into the shop, glancing around at the different kinds of items. _Headbands…no, Ryu had one already. Belts? Nah…_ the boxer thought, looking over the items.

As he looked over to the side, near the headbands, he saw a shelf full of strange, Japanese-like necklaces called omamoris. They came in a variety of colors, with Japanese symbols sewed onto them that Little Mac didn't understand.

One of them caught his eye: a white, silk omamori with two Japanese symbols—one written on top of the other. Holding the omamori together was a long string, almost the length of a necklace, that had purple beads down towards the bottom, closest to the silk covering.

The boxer smiled. _This is the perfect gift!_ he thought, grabbing the omamori. After paying for it, he rushed out of the Smash Souvenir Shop, an excited grin on his face.

* * *

Ryu was already awake and was in the Outside Battlefield, training. He punched Sandbag into the air with his famous Shoryuken and it flew through the air, landing with a _thump._ Ryu wiped off the sweat from his face, his breathing rapid.

As he was catching his breath, he heard footsteps behind him. Suspecting that it was an enemy, he attempted to attack them with a flying kick, but they ducked. When Ryu lowered his leg and the person straightened, he realized that it was Little Mac.

"Ah! Little Mac, I'm so sorry," Ryu cried, his eyes wide at the fact that he nearly hurt his friend.

Little Mac sighed with relief and said, "It's fine. I should've said something."

In Little Mac's hands was a wrapped gift box. Ryu glanced down at the box, an eyebrow raised. "What's that?" he asked.

Little Mac blushed, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "W-well…I-I got you this…thing," he stuttered, handing the gift box over with shaky hands.

Ryu eyed at him. "For me?" he asked.

"Y-yeah!" Little Mac spoke, nodding vehemently, "I-I bought it from the Souvenir Shop."

Ryu grabbed the present, quickly tore off the wrapping paper and opened the box. He raised an eyebrow upon seeing what was inside. "Is that…an omamori?" Ryu asked, grabbing the omamori and holding it up.

"Y-yeah," Little Mac stuttered. "I heard th-that you like Japanese st-stuff, so I thought this'll b-be a good gift…"

Ryu placed the omamori around his neck, and smiled at his friend. "Mac…thanks," Ryu said in a quiet voice, holding the boxer close.

Little Mac blushed hard when Ryu's strong arms held him close.

… _Oh God, is he hugging me?!_ Little Mac thought, gulping down a lump in his throat. The smell of detergent on Ryu's clothes made the boxer feel like he was in heaven.

Ryu let him go, his gaze locked on the new gift he'd received.

* * *

Bison smirked as he watched the two interact. Over the course of the last few weeks, he'd watched them bond and a plan was forming in his head.

"So…Little Mac has a little crush on Ryu," he chuckled as he pressed a button and a mockup of the boxer appeared on the screen, showing his stats.

"Interesting…" Bison said, placing his finger on his chin. With a smirk, he continued, "Perhaps he'll be a formidable ally…for us."

* * *

 **Constructive criticism is welcomed!**

 **Beta reader: h34rt1lly**


	8. Mac's Past

**Chapter 8: Mac's Past**

Tonight's weather consisted of pouring rain and crackling thunder. The sky had a darker hue, and the clouds kept the moon and the stars from being visible. Heavy rain flooded the ground around the Mansion, hitting its brick walls in torrents of liquid. Lightning arced across the sky in bright flashes and thunder boomed, shaking the windowpanes.

Ryu looked out of the window in his and Little Mac's room, fascinated. Being one who enjoyed nature, he loved watching the rain. He blinked whenever lightning flashed and echoes of thunder reverberated throughout the Mansion, his eyes fixated on the downpour.

"Damn…this is beautiful," Ryu commented.

Little Mac on the other hand, wasn't enjoying the storm as much as his crush was. As he sat on his bed, every time he looked over at the window, his expression changed into a frown and tears welled up in his eyes. Luckily, he managed to hold back his tears but his fear remained.

"Don't you think so too, Mac?" Ryu's voice interrupted the boxer's thoughts.

Little Mac looked up at him and nodded. "Uh, yeah! I-I do enjoy it!" he stuttered.

Ryu smiled. "I'm glad. Mother Nature's way of showing her powers is fascinating." After his statement, he yawned. "Let's go to bed. We have another match tomorrow."

"Right," Little Mac agreed, nodding.

Ryu approached his own bed and took off his trademark headband, tying it around one of the posts of his bed before lying down. "Night, Mac," Ryu said.

"Night."

After that, the two fell asleep.

* * *

" _Don't tell me what to do!" a fifteen-year-old Little Mac yelled at his mother's face._

 _Carla, his mother, stared down at him, her eyebrows lowered and her teeth gritting. "Mac, don't talk to your momma like that!" she growled._

" _I agree," Max, Little Mac's father, called out from the living room. "You need to treat us with respect!"_

" _I don't CARE!" Little Mac yelled, "I HATE you! BOTH OF YOU!" After his statement, he stormed off to his room, slamming the door shut._

 _The teen sat on his bed with his face buried in his hands, tears welling up in his eyes. "Idiots…" he muttered._

 _A few hours had passed and Max knocked on Little Mac's door. "Mac?" he called._

" _What the hell do you want?!" Little Mac yelled._

 _The teen could hear his father's sigh. "We're just going to the grocery store. Want anything?"_

" _No! Just go! I don't want anything!" Little Mac growled._

 _Max sighed again. "All right. Love you."_

 _Little Mac could hear his father's footsteps fading away, then the front door opening and closing. They were gone for the night…_

 _Forever._

 _Hours had passed and the rain began to pour down on the apartment Little Mac and his parents lived in. Because their building was old and only had a few units in it that all faced the street, when lightning flashed across the dark sky, the brightness was unobstructed and every loud boom of thunder caused him to wince._

 _When his parents still hadn't come home by dinnertime, Little Mac raised an eyebrow in confusion._

Weird. They should be home by now… _he thought._

 _Grabbing his cellphone, he dialed his father's number and placed the phone to his ear._

Riiiiiiing. Riiiiiiing. Riiiiiiiiing.

 _Nothing. Little Mac sighed in frustration, his forehead crinkling up as he tightened his brow. "Where the hell are they?"_

 _That was when he heard a knock on the front door._

 _The teen walked out of his room and headed to the living room, opening the door to see a policeman standing there with a grim expression on his face. "Hello," the officer greeted, pressing his lips into a thin line afterwards._

 _Little Mac raised his eyebrows so high they disappeared into his hairline, his eyes wide. When a policeman visited a home in any neighborhood, it indicated that something was_ definitely _wrong._

" _What's going on, officer?" Little Mac asked._

" _I want to talk to you about something..." the officer trailed off._

" _Officer? What happened? What's going on?" Little Mac asked, his voice filled with concern._

" _I have to ask you a few questions," the officer said. "Are there any adults at home? Any family members or guardians?"_

 _Little Mac shook his head. "No sir."_

 _The officer gulped down a lump in his throat. "I see…"_

" _Officer, please tell me. What happened?"_

 _The officer turned to see a red Jeep driving up to the apartment and parking along the curb. Little Mac's grandparents climbed out of the car and his grandfather walked around the front end to wrap his arm around his sobbing grandmother's shoulders._

" _Grandma? Grandpa?" Little Mac questioned._ What in the world happened?

 _His grandmother glanced up and saw that Little Mac was speaking to the police officer. With a gasp, she hurried up the steps to him and enveloped him in a tight hug. "Oh Mac...Carla and Max...they…" she sobbed._

" _Huh? What?" Little Mac asked, confused._

 _The officer piped up then. "I hate to be the one to say this, but…" He held his breath for a second before he continued, "Your parents have been murdered. They were shot."_

 _Little Mac gasped and tears welled up in his eyes. "Mom…? Dad…? Th-they're dead?"_

 _He couldn't believe it. Shaking his head, he accused the officer, "Y-you're lying! This is a load of crap!"_

 _The officer ignored the teen's antagonistic response as he spoke in a low voice, "I am sorry. They're gone…"_

 _Little Mac felt his tears rolling down his face and he held his grandmother closer. "Grandma...I can't believe it...Mom...Dad…" The teen and the old woman shook, tears streaming down their faces as the rain poured down on them, their tears mixing with the drops of water…_

* * *

"AH!" Little Mac cried out, jolting awake and shooting upright in bed. He felt tears running down his face and attempted to wipe them off, sniffling as quietly as possible.

He heard groaning from the other side of the room, and Little Mac froze upon realizing that Ryu was awake.

Ryu turned over in his bed and faced Little Mac, his eyes cracked open. "Can't sleep?"

Little Mac shook his head. "N-no. I'm good," he lied.

Ryu shrugged and rolled back over, falling asleep quickly and heading back to dreamland.

Little Mac sighed with relief as he laid back down on his bed. However, the thoughts of his parents' murders remained in his mind…

* * *

 _The next morning…_

Ryu noticed that Little Mac had been acting strange lately. During their match for the day, the boxer hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings and his stock was brought down to one out of three, while everyone else was still at three. Without Little Mac's help, the two lost the match, shocking the audience. Usually, they won their matches and they were considered the "Unstoppables" thanks to their good records of wins versus losses.

When Ryu confronted his friend about the match, Little Mac said, "I'm just tired" before walking off.

He also noticed that the boxer's mood had changed. He snapped at the other Smashers to the point that he even made some of the children Smashers cry. Anyone who questioned his attitude ended up getting yelled at.

Worried for his friend, Ryu decided to confront Little Mac. Upon seeing the boxer sitting on the couch watching the television, the martial artist approached him.

"Hey." Ryu cracked a smile at his friend, waving at him.

Little Mac however, was not in the mood to talk. He glared at the older man, huffing in annoyance.

Ryu raised an eyebrow and questioned, "The others said that you have been sour lately. Is something wrong?"

Little Mac shook his head, gritting his teeth. "I'm fine."

"C'mon," Ryu said, "something must be wrong. Tell me—"

"I said I'm _fine,_ " Little Mac growled. The nightmares he had last night haunted him...his mom and dad getting shot and killed...not getting the chance to tell them how sorry he was for yelling at them…tears began to form in his eyes again, but he tried to hold them back to no avail.

Ryu noticed this. "Mac," Ryu said sternly, grabbing him by the shoulders to force him to look up at him. "There's definitely something wrong. You know I'm here if you need to talk—"

"SHUT IT!" Little Mac's shouted, his face red as he narrowed his eyes at Ryu. "I don't WANT to talk now! Don't you GET IT?!"

"Mac—" Before Ryu could say anything else, Little Mac got up from the couch and punched him in the gut. Ryu cried out in pain and hunched over, falling to the ground with his arms around his abdomen. As Ryu was groaning in pain, Little Mac pivoted on his heel and stormed off, tears falling down his face.

When Ryu finally recovered and looked up, Little Mac was long gone. "Mac! MAC!" he called out, his features pinched together in pain, causing his forehead to scrunch up with worry.

What had gotten into his friend?

* * *

 _That night…_

Little Mac walked through the cemetery as he looked around at the graves that stretched out around him, as far as he could see. Names were carved on the graves, names of people that he did not know. His sneakers crunched on the grass; it was night outside, and the dark clouds covered up any stars that may have otherwise been visible. The boxer gripped a handful of red roses in one hand.

Finally, he reached his destination: two graves with the names Carla and Max carved into the stone. In front of the markers, lay two red roses but compared to the red ones in his hand, these were withered from old age, their petals faded and dry.

Upon approaching the two graves, he kneeled down.

"Hey, Mom and Dad," he whispered, his eyes hidden by his pink hoodie. "How are you two? I hope you're doing well up there...wherever you are."

Sighing, he looked down at the graves, trying to hold back tears. Despite that there was no response, he answered, "I'm doing well. I met a lot of friends in the Smash Mansion. Doc had been taking good care of me since we first met back in Bronx. I'm happy and healthy. But…" he trailed off, as tears began to trail down his face. "I...I wish that you two were still here...to see me grow and fight for you two…" Sniffing, he looked down at the ground, trying to hold back more tears to no avail.

"Hey."

Little Mac's head shot up and he turned to see Ryu, who was standing behind him.

"Ryu?" the boxer asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Wondering where you went. What are you doing here? And…" Ryu noticed his friend's tear-stained face. "Why are you crying?"

Little Mac's eyes widened and he pulled the hoodie down to hide his eyes. "I-I'm not crying!"

"I can tell that you are. Don't lie to me, Mac."

Little Mac sighed. "All right...I am."

Ryu kneeled beside him, his eyes narrowing over at the two graves. The two tails of his red headband began to flutter slightly in the breeze.

"So you know them?" Ryu asked.

Little Mac nodded. "Y-yeah...they're my parents."

Ryu's eyes widened. "Your parents...are gone?"

Little Mac sighed. "Look, I'm not in the mood to talk, all right?"

"Mac..." Ryu stared at him, placing his arm around the other man's shoulder. "Look at me, Mac."

Little Mac reluctantly stared up at Ryu, his eyes red and filled with tears.

"It's going to be all right." Ryu smiled slightly, wiping away any stray tears that came down from the boxer's eyes. "I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my parents as well, so I know how you're feeling right now."

Little Mac stared at him, his eyes widening in shock. "You too?"

Ryu nodded. "Yeah...I don't even know what they look like. They died when I was just a baby. My Master took me in and told me what happened to them…" Ryu sighed, also holding back tears.

Little Mac leaned closer to Ryu, placing his head on his arm. "My parents were murdered by someone. The bastard was never caught to this day. That was why I wanted to learn boxing; I wanted to protect everyone close to me."

Ryu placed his hand on Little Mac's, squeezing it gently in a comforting manner. "Don't worry...I won't let anything like this happen."

"Same, Ryu…"

The two stayed this way for what appeared to be hours, saying nothing as they stared down at the graves.

* * *

Bison watched the two men intently as a smirk spread across his face. "Interesting…" he spoke, chuckling. Pressing a button, the screen zoomed in to focus on Little Mac.

"I have the perfect plan for you," Bison said in an intimidating voice. He turned his chair to face his two henchmen, Vega and Balrog. "You two, tomorrow, come with me. We're going to snag the boxer. Drag him out as bait for Ryu."

"Yessir." Vega and Balrog agreed simultaneously, saluting.

* * *

 **Constructive criticism is welcomed!**

 **Beta reader: h34rt1lly**


	9. Doc's Suspicions

**Chapter 9: Doc's Suspicions**

Doc had been like a father to Little Mac since they first met in Bronx, New York. Although he tended to be hard on the boxer, he still loved Little Mac as if he was his flesh and blood. After hearing the boxer's story of his parents, he sympathized with him and offered to adopt him. Little Mac accepted, and the two had been close ever since.

However, Doc noticed that since Little Mac joined the Smash Mansion, he had been acting…odd towards other men. Little Mac would rather hang out with the males of the Mansion, laughing and chatting away the entire time. Whenever women were around, the boxer appeared to have no interests in them. When asked about his behavior, Little Mac said nothing and walked off.

When Ryu joined the Mansion, Little Mac had been acting even stranger. Doc had watched from afar when the two sparred in the evenings, and he noticed that the boxer didn't actually pay attention during the fights. By the looks of it, his gaze seemed to be fixated on the older man's eyes more often than not, and Doc noticed that he blushed— _a lot_.

One day, Doc sat outside the Smash Mansion, munching on a chocolate bar, his gaze focused on nothing in particular. With a dejected sigh, his eyes slid shut and he continued to eat, barely tasting the sweet candy. Sitting on one of the picnic tables near the playground, he had been thinking about Little Mac for a while. _The fact that he was acting strange around that Ryu...he had been hanging out with him a lot lately. Something must be going on between them. Could they…?_

Taking another bite of his chocolate bar, he heard a voice behind him.

"Doc?"

The man turned to see Little Mac, waving at him shyly.

"Oh! Hey Mac." Doc smiled, but the thoughts had remained. He considered asking Little Mac about his and Ryu's 'friendship', but he decided against it. "How's your training going?" Doc asked.

"Doing great." Little Mac forced a nervous smile.

The two said nothing for a few minutes, Doc focusing on his snack as Little Mac tried to think of what to say. He knew he had to tell Doc...but what if he no longer accepted him?

"Hey...listen." Little Mac approached his trainer, his hands behind his back. "You're like a dad to me, y'know. I appreciated everything you did for me since my parents were killed..."

"Well, of course, Mac! I may push you hard sometimes, but it's for your own good. You're like a son to me," Doc answered, taking the last bite of his chocolate and throwing away the wrapper.

"Y-yeah..." Mac blushed, trying to find a way to say what he wanted to say. "Doc…?"

"Hm?" The older man looked down at him. "What's wrong?"

"W-well…" The boxer rubbed the back of his head. He then asked, "Even if I've...well...changed, you'll still accept me as your son, right?"

Doc nodded vigorously. "Of course! Even if you grew six feet tall, I'll still accept you!"

"Then…" Little Mac gulped in an attempt to swallow the lump in his throat. "Do you accept...people who like the same gender?"

Doc stared at him. _Why would he ask such a question?_

"Well...I—"

Before Doc could answer, Little Mac heard a sound from behind him. Turning towards the sound, he saw nothing. However, the bushes there were rustling.

"Huh?" he asked, his fists up and ready.

"Mac?" Doc asked, staring at him. "What's up?"

"I sense something. Stay close, Doc," Little Mac whispered.

Suddenly, a man wearing a maroon cape and a red hat jumped from the bushes, his fist flying towards Little Mac. The boxer dodged his attack and managed to throw a punch at his assailant, and the man tumbled to the ground. From behind him, Little Mac heard a cry and he turned to see Doc lying on the ground, unconscious. Standing over him were two older men, who had wide grins on their faces.

"DOC!" Little Mac shouted. Before he could rush to protect his trainer, the man behind him punched the back of his head, knocking him out.

The man smirked, looking over the unconscious boxer. Grabbing his arm and raising him up, he studied him intently, an evil smirk on his face.

"So this is the famous Little Mac? Heh. He's not much. He'll be perfect for our plan..." he mocked.

With that, the three teleported away with Little Mac, leaving Doc behind.

* * *

 **Constructive criticism is welcomed!**

 **Beta reader: h34rt1lly**


	10. Captive

**Chapter 10: Captive**

Little Mac groaned as he began to stir. He cracked his eyes open, his surroundings blurry. When he blinked, his vision cleared, and he realized that he was in a lab of some sort. In front of him was a glass window, and behind it were green screens showing a familiar silhouette.

"Wh-wha…?" he mumbled as he attempted to get up, but he realized that he could not move.

Steel cuffs bound him to a mechanical chair, the restraints holding his wrists to the armrests of the chair. His feet were also bound to the chair, forcing him to remain seated.

"What the hell?!" Little Mac exclaimed, looking down at his bonds. He began to writhe against them, attempting to break free to no avail.

His struggling was interrupted when he heard a voice from behind the glass window. "I see that you're awake."

Little Mac looked up to see the men whom he had faced before. "Who are you?! What do you want with me?!" Little Mac shouted, glaring at them, his teeth grinding together.

One of the men, Bison, smirked as he mocked, "Your friend may have told me about you. I am M. Bison…"

Little Mac's eyes widened. He remembered when Ryu had spoken of this man, who had been after him for some time.

Bison chuckled at Little Mac's shocked expression. "As you may or may not have noticed, my men decided to have some fun with you before we snapped that picture."

Little Mac looked down and saw the bruises and cuts littered all over his body. A trickle of blood dripped down his forehead, falling into his eye and smearing across his vision.

There was one thing that he couldn't figure out though...Why did they take a picture of him in this state?

Bison handed an envelope to another man, Balrog. "Balrog, deliver this to the Smash Mansion. Don't get caught."

"Yessir," Balrog agreed, saluting before he went on his way.

"What are you planning to do?!" Little Mac demanded. If he could figure out what their plan was, he could devise a way to escape somehow.

Bison sneered at him. "Don't worry. Ryu will be coming for you shortly."

Little Mac's eyes widened, realizing what they were planning. Closing his eyes tightly, he thought desperately, _Ryu…stay away! PLEASE! Bison wants you here!_

* * *

Ryu gasped upon seeing Doc on the ground, knocked out cold and blood trickling down his face. Immediately, he called for Dr. Mario, and Doc was rushed to the hospital.

As Ryu waited for the news of Doc's condition in the Waiting Room, he saw Dr. Mario walk in.

"Doctor," Ryu gasped, standing up from his chair. "Is Doc okay?"

Dr. Mario nodded. "He'll be fine. Though it worries me that he was found like this…" He glanced around the Waiting Room. "Say, where's Mac?"

Ryu's bit his lip. He was right—why didn't Little Mac come when Doc was sent to the Smash Hospital? "I…don't know."

Dr. Mario placed his finger on his chin. "This is definitely worrisome…where did you see Mac last?"

"During breakfast. He told me that he was going to go speak to Doc. I haven't seen him since…" Ryu gulped. Something was wrong here. Little Mac missing, Doc found hurt…

The two heard a groan from the Patient Room. Dr. Mario gasped and ran back into the room, with Ryu right on his heels.

Doc was stirring. He looked up at Dr. Mario, then over at Ryu. "R-Ryu…" he tried to say, "M-Mac…h-he's—" Before he could spit it out, Doc fell unconscious.

Ryu was desperate. He grabbed Doc and shook his body. "Tell me! What happened to Mac?!"

Dr. Mario grabbed the older man. "Ryu! Calm down!" he cried, trying to stop Ryu.

As the two were fighting each other, out of the corner of Ryu's eye, he saw an envelope falling out of Doc's pocket and landing on the ground.

"Hm?" Ryu hummed as he stopped struggling against Dr. Mario. Bending down and picking up the envelope, he reached inside and pulled something out, his features becoming more and more tense as he studied whatever it was.

"What's wrong, Ryu?" Dr. Mario asked, peeking over the martial artist's shoulder.

"…" Ryu said nothing, biting his lip. "I have to leave. Let me know if something happens."

* * *

 _At the Smash Mansion…_

Ryu looked down at the envelope held tightly between his fingers. Unease swept through him; it couldn't be good that he'd found this in Doc's pocket and the feeling that something was horribly wrong hit him then.

Even though looking at it ended up making him more upset, he opened the envelope again and pulled out the grainy, black and white photograph.

It was Little Mac. He'd been knocked out and his head was leaning on his own shoulder, his face hidden from the camera's view. He was bound to a mechanical chair and bruises and cuts were littered all over his body. A trickle of blood had trailed down the side of his face, lending an eerie aura to the photo. Whoever had placed this with Doc, had obviously meant to frighten the older man. They knew that he had cared for Little Mac and were using that to their advantage.

Ryu's clenched his jaw as he balled up his hand into a fist. No matter how many times he looked at the photograph, seeing his friend in this horrid state sent a spike of anger through him, mixed with panic and concern. There was a folded piece of paper inside of the envelope that he hadn't noticed before and he yanked it out, his anger making his movements rough.

 _I currently have your little boxer friend with me at this very moment. Want him back? You better come to me! Otherwise, his life will forfeit!_

Upon seeing the signed name at the bottom of the note, Ryu's eyes widened when he saw who had taken his friend.

 _Bison._

"Ryu?" Mega Man called out, his eyebrows furrowed and his voice filled with concern.

Ryu growled, gripping the note so tightly that it crumpled in his hand. "That bastard! He took him!" he shouted, his breathing rapid and his teeth gritting so hard, it almost hurt.

"Huh? What?" Mega Man asked, his eyes wide and his mouth gaping open. He'd never seen Ryu this angry before. What in the world could have happened?

Ryu however, did not respond to Mega Man as he ran towards the front door of the Mansion, the picture fluttering down to the ground, forgotten.

Mega Man picked up the dropped picture and when he recognized the fighter in the image, he gasped. Now that he had realized what the situation was and what had happened, he chased after Ryu and grabbed his friend's arm, before he could make it out the door. Ryu glared down at him and tried to yank his arm away from Mega Man to no avail.

"Ryu! You can't go! This is obviously a trap!" Mega Man cried.

Ryu looked down at his robotic friend and shook his head, his jaw clenched so hard that Mega Man could see the muscle twitching. "I don't care! Little Mac is my friend and he needs my help. I can't let anything happen to him. I promised!"

"But Ryu-"

Ryu grabbed Mega Man's arm and pulled it off himself, rushing out of the Mansion in a fit of rage.

"RYU!" Mega Man shouted after him. The robot tried to chase after him, but Ryu had disappeared into the vast forest on the edge of the Mansion's grounds.

"Oh no…" he muttered. He ran back inside the Mansion, his heart pounding and sweat beading on his face.

Desperately he thought, _Ryu's in danger! I have to tell the other Smashers!_

* * *

Bison smirked as he watched Ryu from the screen, running through the forest. "Awww, Ryu does care for his little boxer."

Little Mac watched the screen as well, realizing that there was nothing he could do; Ryu was now coming for him…

"You won't get away with this, you bastard!" Little Mac growled, glowering at Bison.

Bison turned to Little Mac and shook his head. "Now now," he mocked, "once Ryu arrives…he will have a challenge ahead of him."

Little Mac growled again, saying nothing to him.

"As for you…" Bison's eyes glowed red. "You will be perfect as a slave for my evil organization, along with Ryu…"

Little Mac broke out into a fearful sweat, his heart pounding in his chest. "No! Please!" he begged.

It was no use.

Little Mac saw the electricity coming out of Bison's eyes and he suddenly felt excruciating pain in his mind. His started to lose his senses one by one, and he saw mental images of Ryu…shattering into pieces like a mirror had been dropped. He screamed, the pain growing stronger as more memories of Ryu were being erased in his mind in the same way. No matter how much he held on to his thoughts of Ryu, they were also obliterated.

Bison blinked to stop the invasion of Little Mac's mind and the boxer fell silent, slumped over in the chair, his body limp.

* * *

 **Constructive criticism is welcomed!**

 **Beta reader: h34rt1lly**


	11. Ryu to the Rescue

**Chapter 11: Ryu to the Rescue**

At the ropeless boxing ring, Vega and Balrog were preparing themselves for Ryu to arrive. Balrog was cracking his knuckles as Vega cleaned his knuckle claws.

"So when's Ryu gonna come? He should be here by now," Balrog asked, glancing around the area. It had been a few hours since Ryu ran out of the Mansion to rescue Little Mac.

Vega shrugged. "Not sure. Boss said that it could take a while for him to get here," he replied.

Balrog sighed, frowning.

As the two were distracted, a voice yelled out, "HADOUKEN!"

"Wha—" Before Balrog could turn, a large fireball slammed into him, burning his skin and singeing the hairs of his body. "GAAAAAAAAAAH!" hHe screamed, before falling to the ground.

"What the hell?!" Vega cried out, but before he could run towards the hurt Balrog, Ryu lunged at him with a Shoryuken under the chin. "YAAAAAAAAAAH!" Vega screamed as he hit the ground.

Ryu looked down at Vega and Balrog, his jaw clenched and his fists in the air, his complexion growing redder by the minute. He approached Vega and grabbed him by the neck, lifting him up.

"Now…" Ryu growled. "Tell me! Tell me RIGHT now! WHERE IS MAC?!"

That was when he heard chuckling from behind him. Turning, he saw M. Bison. In front of him was...Little Mac, wearing his pink jacket, his hoodie concealing his face. "Is this who you're looking for?" Bison mocked.

"BISON! What have you done to him?!" Ryu screamed, his anger up to its peak.

Bison chuckled. "I simply used him as bait to lure you here...and now that you are, I'll let your little friend say hello…"

Little Mac took off his jacket and glared at Ryu. His pupils were shrunken, and his normally green irises were replaced with red.

"Mac...what..." Ryu gasped.

Bison sneered. "As you may have noticed, I have brainwashed him. He'll be a good slave for my evil organization."

This angered Ryu more. "HOW DARE YOU?!" he roared, rushing towards Bison to punch him.

Before he could reach Bison, Little Mac struck him in the head with his fist and Ryu was sent flying.

Bison smirked. "Feisty, aren't you?"

Groaning, Ryu quickly got up. "Mac! Snap out of it!" he cried.

Little Mac didn't appear to comprehend Ryu's desperate cry however, because he continued to stalk towards his former friend, his fists up.

"MAC! It's me! Ryu! Your friend!" Ryu called, trying to snap Little Mac out of his state.

Little Mac sent an uppercut at him but Ryu dodged.

"Fight now, my puppet!" Bison commanded, smirking in delight.

"Mac! Please!" Ryu begged as he ducked from Little Mac's flying fist. "You have to resist this! I don't want to hurt you!"

Little Mac said nothing, glaring up at Ryu as he punched him in the face. Ryu cried out in pain as he was sent flying near the edge of the ring.

"Mac…stop!" Ryu screamed, tears forming in his eyes. Although his instincts were telling him to fight back, he refused. Little Mac was his friend; he couldn't hurt him!

Little Mac ignored Ryu as he grabbed his friend by the throat and lifted him up.

"M-Mac…" Ryu choked out, tears streaming down his face as he tried to breathe.

Before Little Mac could throw him, he saw the omamori around Ryu's neck. His eyes widened as a memory flooded through his mind.

 _Ryu placed the omamori around his neck and smiled at his friend. "Mac…thanks," Ryu said in a quiet voice, holding the boxer close._

After the flashback disappeared only a moment later, Little Mac roared and threw Ryu to the side.

"GAH!" Ryu cried out, hitting the ground. Before he got the chance to get up, Little Mac grabbed a fistful of his hair and held him up.

"M-Mac!" Ryu screamed, trying not to wince from the pain. "Remember our promise?! Please! You _have_ to remember!"

Little Mac's eyes widened once more as another flashback appeared in his head.

 _Ryu placed his hand on Little Mac's, squeezing it gently in a comforting manner. "Don't worry...I won't let anything like this happen."_

 _"Same, Ryu…"_

"I…" Little Mac tried to say.

"Slave!" Bison called out, "Finish him!"

Little Mac hesitated, looking up at Ryu. Now that they had been prompted, more flashbacks appeared in his mind in quick succession…the day they first met, the time they become friends…and the day where Little Mac had protected and cared for Ryu after Vega and Balrog attempted to capture him.

Little Mac dropped Ryu on the ground, holding his head. "N-no…" he muttered as more flashbacks kept flooding in.

"Mac?" Ryu questioned, looking up at Little Mac as he got up. Realizing that he was resisting the brainwashing, he grabbed Little Mac by the shoulders. "Mac! It's me! Ryu! Remember me?! Your friend!" he cried.

Little Mac blinked rapidly, his pupils returning to normal and his irises turning back into their green tint.

"R-Ryu…?" Little Mac questioned, staring up at his friend. The memories of them being together flooded his mind and tears began to form in his eyes.

Little Mac had snapped out of it.

Ryu was also in tears as well, overjoyed that his friend had returned to normal. "Mac! You're all right…" Ryu cried as he held him tightly. After a few seconds, he let him go.

Little Mac however, was looking behind Ryu. Unbeknownst to his friend, Bison had jumped into the air to strike Ryu in the head with a kick.

"MOVE!" Little Mac screamed as he shoved Ryu to the side.

"Huh?!" Ryu cried, falling to the ground.

Bison's attack that had been meant for Ryu, struck Little Mac in the head instead, and the boxer flew to the bottomless pit of the ropeless ring.

"MAC!" Ryu shouted, scrambling onto his feet and running to Mac's rescue. As Little Mac fell through the air, Ryu jumped over the edge and grabbed his friend's arm.

"Gotcha!" Ryu exclaimed. He reached up and grabbed the ledge with his other hand, holding up both his and Little Mac's weight by sheer strength alone.

Little Mac tightened his grip on Ryu's arm, hanging on for dear life as he looked up at his rescuer. "Ryu!" he cried out.

Ryu tried not to let his friend go, but his arm began to slip from Little Mac's grasp. Sweat dripped down Ryu's face as his heart pounded in his chest. "Hang on!" Ryu yelled as he attempted to pull them up.

Unfortunately, Bison was looking down at them, his smirk growing wider. "What an unfortunate situation you two are in…" he mocked as he placed his foot on Ryu's hand.

Ryu gasped, his eyes widening when he realized what Bison was going to do.

Bison's foot slowly started to crush Ryu's hand. Ryu, grunting and clenching his jaw in pain, tried to hang on, but his hand began to slip from the edge.

"Say goodbye, Ryu—" Before Bison could stomp his foot down on Ryu's hand, a saw-like item hit his back, leaving a large, bloody gash. "GAH! What the?!"

Bison turned to see Mega Man, his hand poised straight down in the air from throwing the saw. The other Smashers stood beside the blue robot in their fighting stances.

"We'll take care of Bison. Donkey Kong, Ike! Get Ryu and Little Mac!" Mario commanded.

"RIGHT!" Ike and Donkey Kong agreed as they ran towards the edge.

"Smashers?!" Bison cried, his eyes wide. He was then hit by Dark Pit's Electroshock Arm and the force sent him flying through the air.

Diddy Kong jumped after Bison and kicked him in the face, sending him close to the other ledge. Meanwhile, Ike and Donkey Kong grabbed Ryu's hand and managed to pull him up from over the edge. Once Ryu was safe on the ground, he pulled Little Mac up as well.

Bison was on the very end of the ledge and before he had the chance to defend himself, Mewtwo flew over to him and with his psychic powers, threw Bison off the edge.

"I'll...get...you...NEXT TIME!" Bison screamed as he fell down the bottomless pit, unable to save himself.

While Ryu and Little Mac attempted to catch their breath, Ryu turned to Little Mac, who had blood trickling down his face.

"Mac!" Ryu gasped upon seeing the blood. Grabbing the boxer's shoulders, Ryu forced him to look up at him. "Are you okay?! Did Bison do anything to you?" he asked, one question right after the other.

Little Mac smiled at him, chuckling. "I-I'm fine..." he assured him.

Ryu smiled, and held his friend close. "I'm glad…I was worried when I got that ransom note…"

Mario smiled at the two and he finally piped up, "Well, you two need some medical attention. All of that must've taken a toll on both of you."

"Yeah," Ryu nodded as he let Little Mac go.

"Let's go back," Mario said.

Donkey Kong placed Ryu on his back as Ike did the same with Little Mac, carrying them back to the Mansion as the others followed.

* * *

 _At the Smash Hospital…_

Ryu and Little Mac were on separate hospital beds, but they were close to each other so that they could at least know that the other was okay. Ryu laid back on his bed, his eyes fixated on the ceiling.

"Ryu?" Little Mac questioned.

Ryu turned his head to Little Mac. "Hm? What's wrong, Mac?" He asked.

"I owe you my life for rescuing me," Little Mac spoke, turning his head to Ryu. "Bison could've used us as slaves for his organization." He smiled at Ryu, though he winced due to the pain. "Thanks."

Ryu nodded. "It's fine. When I got the note and the photo, I panicked."

"But…" Little Mac asked, "Why did you come rescue me even though you knew it was a trap? You could've been captured as well, or worse!"

Ryu shook his head. "I didn't care. You were in danger. I didn't want to leave you behind like that. Mac, you're my friend. You had saved me from getting captured, and I saved you from captivity. I feel that's a good favor to return."

Little Mac stared at him, realizing that Ryu was right. Nodding, he smiled and said as much. "You're right. Thanks, Ryu…"

"Mac…" Ryu trailed off before he spoke again. "I'll protect you. Always. All right?"

Little Mac nodded. "All right…"

* * *

 **Constructive criticism is welcomed!**

 **Beta reader: h34rt1lly**


	12. Little Mac's Mysterious Challenger

**Chapter 12: Little Mac's Mysterious Challenger**

"GAME!" Master Hand announced.

Little Mac, with a couple of bruises on his face, attempted to raise his fist in victory until Doc grabbed his arm, raising it up. "Good job, son!" Doc cried out, smiling.

It was another match after Little Mac and Ryu had recovered from the kidnapping incident a few weeks ago. So far, Little Mac had been doing well in his fighting and training. Along with Ryu, the two continued to fight in matches, and whenever one of them had to fight in a battle solo, the other cheered for him on the sidelines.

This was the case for Ryu, who watched Little Mac defeat ROB on his last stock. "GO MAC!" he hollered, raising his fist into the air.

Little Mac heard Ryu's voice from the Smash Auditorium, and he smiled.

When the fighters and Doc were sent back to the Auditorium, Ryu noticed the bruises on the boxer's face. He got up from his seating position and ran to Little Mac. "Mac! Are you okay? You're not hurt too bad, right?" he asked, looking over the injuries Little Mac sustained from the match.

"Ryu," Little Mac spoke, sighing. "I'm fine. They're just a couple of bruises—"

"But you're hurt!" Ryu exclaimed. Grabbing the boxer's gloved hand, he suggested, "Come on, I'll heal you."

"Ryu—" Before Little Mac tried to protest, he was dragged off to the Smash Locker Room.

* * *

Ryu sat Little Mac down on one of the benches, and the martial artist grabbed his key to open his locker. Placing his hand inside, he pulled out a cloth. "Stay here." Ryu instructed as he rushed out of the locker room. After a few minutes, he returned with some ice cubes in a cup. Grabbing the cloth, he poured the cubes in it. He offered the cloth to Little Mac.

"Ryu, I'll be fine." Little Mac protested, shaking his head.

"But those bruises are getting worse." Ryu insisted, his eyebrows raised in concern.

Little Mac sighed as he grabbed the cloth and placed it on the affected area. He winced when the cloth touched the injury, and the frigidness cause goosebumps to break out on his skin.

Ryu sat beside him, watching him. "Feeling okay after that match?" he asked.

Little Mac nodded. "Y-yeah…but why are you so protective of me?"

Ryu eyed him. "I care about you, Mac. I don't want anything to happen to you after what happened a few weeks ago…"

Little Mac sighed. "I know…but still. I can fight. I can take care of myself."

Ryu stayed silent, registering the boxer's words. Sighing, he said, "All right. Sorry."

Little Mac turned to face him, and smiled. "But thank you, Ryu…you're a—" He gulped down a lump in his throat. "—a good friend."

He hated to admit this to Ryu, but…he doesn't like calling him a friend. He still harbored a crush on the martial artist, and he felt like Ryu only saw him as a close friend, nothing else.

Ryu smiled. "It's nothing. I'm just looking out for you."

* * *

 _That night…_

Little Mac returned to his room, yawning and ready to head to bed. When he stepped forward, he heard a crunch under his shoe. Looking down, he saw an envelope with a boxing glove sticker attached to the seal.

"Huh?" Little Mac asked, glancing around the room and then at the hallways. There was no one there.

 _Strange…who placed this here?_ He thought.

Stepping off the envelope, he picked it up and ripped open the seal. Inside, there was a letter. Pulling it out, he scanned over it, and his eyes widened.

 _Is this…?_

"Mac?"

Little Mac jumped when a voice spoke behind him, and he turned to face Ryu, his hair wet from taking a shower earlier.

"Oh! R-Ryu." Little Mac stuttered, hiding the note behind his back.

"Are you okay? What are you hiding behind your back?" Ryu asked, raising an eyebrow.

Little Mac shook his head frantically. "N-nothing!" he cried.

Ryu shrugged. "All right…well, we need some sleep tonight."

Little Mac nodded. "Y-yeah…"

Ryu untied his headband around his forehead and tied it on one of the posts of his bed, as Little Mac took off his shoes and boxing gloves, placing them near his bed. With that, the two laid in their beds.

"Night, Mac." Ryu spoke.

"Night."

When Ryu fell asleep, Little Mac took out the note. Reading it again and again made his heart pump faster, and he attempted to swallow a lump in his throat as sweat dripped down his forehead. The note read:

 _To Little Mac:_

 _Remember me? Super Macho Man? I challenge you to a rematch! But this time…I will win._

 _Come to the Boxing Ring tomorrow night. Don't be late._

 _\- Super Macho Man_

Little Mac remembered the previous Champion of the World Circuit. The boxer remembered how pissed off Macho Man was after Little Mac had took his title as Champion years ago. The fight against him was quite difficult; Little Mac would have lost if he hadn't used his famous Star Punch to soundly defeat him.

Knowing that it will be a difficult match tomorrow, he placed the note under his pillow and fell asleep.

* * *

 **Constructive criticism is welcomed! Also, this time, I decided to test the waters of how well I did without a beta, so please, reviewers, if there are any mistakes I missed, please let me know!**


	13. Super Macho Man's Rage

**Chapter 13: Super Macho Man's Rage**

The birds chirped as the sun rose in the sky, its rays shining down on the facade of the Mansion. The rays also shone down through the windows, awakening Little Mac when they hit his face.

"Ugh…" he groaned, sitting up and wiping the sleep from his eyes with his arm. He turned to see Ryu also sitting up from his bed, stretching. The martial artist turned to face the boxer, smiling.

"Morning, Mac," Ryu greeted.

Little Mac smiled, but at the back of his mind, he was still thinking about the challenge from Super Macho Man. "Morning."

Ryu got out of his bed, tying his headband back on. "Ready to get some breakfast?"

Little Mac, to Ryu's surprise, shook his head. "No thank you."

Ryu raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

"Yeah," Little Mac nodded, getting up from his bed as well. "I…have some business to tend to."

"Business?" Ryu questioned.

"Yeah. I'll…see you later, Ryu." With that, Little Mac turned to the door, waving at his friend.

Ryu watched him, his eyebrow still raised. What had gotten into him?

* * *

Little Mac punched Sandbag into the air, and as soon as it hit the ground, he rushed towards it and uppercutted it.

It had been a few hours since he had been training here, and Little Mac was sweating hard, his face red from the heat and his muscles aching. He stopped for a few seconds to catch his breath before he continued to pummel down Sandbag.

"Mac baby?"

Little Mac stopped punching Sandbag and he turned to see Doc behind him. "Hey Doc," he greeted.

Doc's expression was filled with concern. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Little Mac said, cracking his knuckles, "just training."

Doc raised an eyebrow, confused. "All this time?"

"Yeah. I…I wanted to do it, is all," Little Mac lied, not wanting to tell Doc of his challenge against Super Macho Man.

Doc shook his head. "Son, you shouldn't push yourself too hard like this. You could hurt yourself."

Little Mac shook his head. "I'll be all right, Doc."

"But Ryu said that you missed breakfast. That's not a good way to train yourself, missing the most important meal of the day like that."

"I said I'm _fine,_ Doc," Little Mac growled, glaring at Doc.

Doc's eyes widened at how upset Little Mac was. "Mac…"

"Doc, please," Little Mac insisted, "I need to train. Can you please leave me be?"

Doc, realizing there was nothing he could do, sighed. "All right. But don't miss lunch, y'hear?"

Little Mac nodded. After Doc's reminder, he left Little Mac alone in the Practice Room.

When Doc was long gone, Little Mac sighed with relief. "Good," Little Mac said, turning back to face Sandbag. "Now to continue for this challenge…"

* * *

Ryu grew concerned since Little Mac hadn't come to get lunch. Fear began to flood his mind. Was Little Mac captured again? Was he hurt somewhere in the Mansion?

He rose from his seat and glanced around the Smasherteria. Doc sat at another table, eating a sandwich along with Chrom.

Thinking that Doc could answer what had happened to Little Mac, Ryu approached them. "Hey," he greeted.

Doc looked up at Ryu. "Oh, hey Ryu."

"Have you seen Mac?" Ryu asked, his voice filled with concern.

Doc glanced at the table Ryu once sat at, noticing that Little Mac wasn't there. "Strange…he promised that he'd get lunch."

Ryu eyed at him. "Really? Where was he?"

"He's at the Practice Room, training."

Ryu raised an eyebrow. He had been training all this time?

"All right. I'll check on him. Thanks Doc." Ryu then walked off to the Practice Room.

* * *

It wasn't hard to find the room, since it was a blue door between Marth and Roy's and Lucina and Shulk's rooms. When Ryu approached the door, he heard grunting inside. He grabbed the handle and opened the door. Little Mac was training against Sandbag, patches of sweat on his black shirt and under his arms.

Ryu walked in. "Mac?" he questioned.

Little Mac stopped punching Sandbag, and he turned to see Ryu. "Hey Ryu," he said before he continued to pummel Sandbag.

"Are you okay?" Ryu asked.

Little Mac nodded, using his Star Punch to knock Sandbag into the air. "I'm fine. I'm just training."

"You were here since breakfast?" Ryu asked, eying him.

Little Mac turned to Ryu and nodded. "Yeah. And?"

"Doc is concerned about you, and so am I. Why are you pushing yourself like this, Mac?"

Little Mac gulped a lump down his throat. "I-it's just that…I wanted to do it."

Ryu didn't buy in Little Mac's lie. "Mac, tell me. What happened?"

Little Mac sighed, turning to Sandbag. "Just don't worry about me, Ryu. Can you please leave?"

Ryu didn't budge. "No," he spoke bluntly.

Little Mac looked up at him. "I said _leave,_ " Little Mac growled, his urges telling him to punch his friend.

Ryu sighed. "All right…" With that, Ryu left the room.

* * *

It was seven at night, and Little Mac was in the bathroom, washing his face to get rid of the sweat. Looking up at the mirror, he tied a green headband around his forehead. He smiled. "Looks like I'm ready," he said with confidence.

Placing his boxing gloves on his hands, he ran out of the bathroom and out of the Mansion without anyone noticing.

* * *

When Little Mac arrived at the Boxing Ring, he realized that it was dark. There were only a few lights on the ceiling that shone on the ring, and there was no one in the audience.

Gulping, he walked down the aisle to the ring, looking around. So far, no one was there, not even Super Macho Man.

When he stepped onto the boxing ring, he heard a click from behind him, and something cold and hard pushed against the back of his head.

Little Mac's eyes widened, his stomach tightening in knots upon realizing what it was—a gun.

"You're late," a low, deep voice growled.

Little Mac recognized the voice. "Super Macho Man?" he asked.

Super Macho Man grinned a toothy grin. "That's right, Mac. That title as World Champion is supposed to be MINE! But you…you took that away from me! And now I'll have my sweet, sweet revenge."

Little Mac gulped. However, he kept a brave face. "You do know that you'll get in trouble for doing this, right?" he asked.

Super Macho Man growled and punched Little Mac in the back—hard. Little Mac tumbled to the ground, groaning in pain. "Shut it, shorty!" the stronger and older man yelled. "Or I'll shoot your head!"

Little Mac knew that he was in trouble.

* * *

"Mac baby?" Doc called, opening the door to Little Mac and Ryu's room. There, Ryu was tightening his headband, and when Doc came in, he turned to him.

"Oh. Doc. Have you seen Mac?" he asked.

Doc shook his head. "No. I haven't seen him. I searched all over the Mansion."

Ryu's eyes widened, realizing that Little Mac was missing. "Where is he? When did you last see him?!" Ryu cried, beginning to panic.

Doc raised his hands slightly. "Ryu, calm down—" Before he could finish his sentence, he saw a piece of paper hiding under Little Mac's pillow. "Ryu, look," Doc said, pointing at the pillow.

Ryu turned and noticed the paper as well. Pulling it out, he read it over. "Super Macho Man?" he asked.

Doc's eyes widened. "Oh no…"

Upon hearing Doc's reaction, Ryu grew more worried. "What is it, Doc?"

"Super Macho Man is a powerful boxer. Little Mac defeated him in the World Circuit long ago. I heard that he's gone coo-coo lately."

Ryu gasped. Knowing that Little Mac was in danger, he pushed Doc out of the way. "Ryu! RYU!" Doc called, attempting to catch up to him, but Ryu was already gone.

* * *

Super Macho Man shoved Little Mac to the end of the boxing ring, his gun never leaving his hand.

"What are you going to do?" Little Mac asked, his breathing hitched.

"Kill ya, of course," Super Macho Man spoke. "You'll never box again, Mac…"

Super Macho Man pushed Little Mac again, even harder this time, and he fell to the ground, trying to remain as still as possible out of fear of getting shot.

"Now, say goodbye, Little Mac, supposed Champion of the Ring…" Super Macho Man smirked, his finger on the trigger.

Little Mac closed his eyes tightly, tears streaming down his face. _This is it…Ryu…Doc…I'm sorry…_

"MAC!"

Before Super Macho Man knew it, Ryu rushed towards him and kicked him. Super Macho Man cried out, dropping his gun and hitting the ground.

Little Mac heard Ryu, and his eyes shot open. Turning on his back, he saw Ryu, standing over him.

"R-Ryu!" Little Mac gasped, sighing with relief.

Ryu extended his hand for the boxer to grab, and Little Mac gripped it tightly. Ryu pulled him up into a hug.

"Ryu! Y-you came for me!" Little Mac sobbed, shaking.

Ryu growled. Obviously, he was frightened from his ordeal. That Super Macho Man was going to _pay._

Ryu heard groaning from the side, and he turned to see Super Macho Man getting up from the ground, his gun raised. Before Ryu could react, Super Macho Man pulled the trigger.

Everything was in slow motion for Ryu. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact of the bullet. Before the bullet hit him, Little Mac pushed him to the side, saving him from getting shot.

But Little Mac wasn't so lucky.

The bullet hit his abdomen and he cried out, holding his hand over the entrance wound as he fell to the ground, a pool of blood rapidly spreading around him.

"MAC!" Ryu shouted, running towards the injured boxer. He kneeled down to Little Mac's body and gasped upon seeing how much blood Little Mac was losing.

"M-Mac…?" Ryu asked.

"R-Ryu…" Little Mac whispered, "i-it's too late for me. Run…"

Super Macho Man smirked at what was going on. "How cute. Little Mac saved his buddy's life."

Ryu began to shake, tears streaming down his face. "You hurt him. He's dying…" Ryu whispered.

"Good. Just what I needed," Super Macho Man mocked.

Ryu's clothing began to change colors, and a black aura swirled around him. His Satsui no Hado grew stronger the more he looked at Little Mac's body, and his eyes turned blood red.

He looked up at Super Macho Man, his teeth gritting. "YOU HURT HIM, YOU SICK BASTARD!" Ryu roared, rushing towards him.

Before Super Macho Man had a chance to shoot at Ryu, Ryu grabbed his throat and lifted him up.

"YOU'LL PAY!" Ryu yelled, squeezing Super Macho Man's throat.

The older boxer gasped for breath, struggling to get away to no avail as Ryu tightened his fingers around the man's throat.

Little Mac slowly moved his head up to see Ryu attempting to kill Super Macho Man. Coughing up blood, he cried, "R-Ryu! Wh-what are you doing?!"

Ryu turned to Little Mac. "Mac!" he growled, still in his dark form.

"Please! You're killing him!" Little Mac begged, blood dripping down from his mouth.

Ryu, however, refused. "He tried to kill you! I HAVE to kill him for what he had done to you!"

Little Mac shook his head the best he could. "Ryu...this isn't you at all! I know who you are…please! Don't do this!"

"Mac—"

"Ryu…you won't be better than him if you do the deed! Please…"

Ryu stared at Little Mac for a few seconds, and his eyes returned to normal. The black aura disappeared, and his clothing turned back to white. He then dropped Super Macho Man on the ground. "Mac…I'm sorry…" he sobbed, tears streaming down his face.

Little Mac smiled weakly. If he was to die here, he'll die happy, knowing that Ryu hadn't killed someone.

The shrill sound of emergency sirens reached their ears then, drifting into the building from outside. Doc rushed in with two police officers, and upon seeing Little Mac's state, he gasped. "MAC BABY!" he cried, running towards him, kneeling down to his body.

"D-Doc? I-is that you?" Little Mac asked, coughing up even more blood.

"Mac, baby…it's okay, you're going to be all right," Doc whispered, holding him close as the police arrested Super Macho Man.

"Doc," Ryu asked. "Is he…?"

"He's all right. But he needs help _now_!" Doc exclaimed.

* * *

Ryu paced in the Waiting Room in the Smash Hospital, looking down at his feet. It had been hours since Little Mac was rushed into the Emergency Room, and so far, there was nothing yet.

Dr. Mario, along with Nurse Peach, walked in.

"Dr.!" Ryu cried, halting in place. "Is Little Mac…?"

"He'll be just fine." Dr. Mario smiled at him. "If you had been only a few minutes later, he would be dead."

Ryu sighed with relief. _Mac's all right…he's all right._

"Can I see him?" Ryu asked.

Nurse Peach nodded. "Of course," she said, smiling a sweet smile.

Dr. Mario and Nurse Peach brought him to the room, and there was Little Mac, laying in the hospital bed. He was hooked up to a heart rate machine and there was an oxygen mask on his face. His abdomen was bandaged up, and there was dried blood on it.

"Mac!" Ryu cried, running towards the bed.

Little Mac slowly opened his eyes. "R-Ryu?" he asked, moving his head slowly to see Ryu.

Ryu suddenly hugged him, tears streaming down his face. "You're all right…you're alive…" Ryu sobbed, holding him tightly while being careful with him.

Little Mac smiled, hugging him back. "Ryu…thank you. You saved me once again."

Ryu chuckled, letting him go. "I should thank _you._ You saved my life."

Little Mac's smile grew wider. However, his smile turned back into a frown when he remembered Super Macho Man.

"Mac? Are you okay?" Ryu asked, noticing his frown.

"What about Super Macho Man? Is he—"

Ryu shook his head. "He's been arrested and sent to jail. He won't bother you again."

Little Mac sighed with relief. "Good…I'm sorry that you had to come rescue me again…"

"Mac," Ryu held Little Mac's hand tightly, "I said that I'll protect you, right? I'll never break my promise."

Little Mac stared at him intently and then nodded. "Y-you're right…thank you Ryu."

Dr. Mario and Nurse Peach smiled at the two. Dr. Mario looked down at his watch, noticing that it was ten o'clock. "Welp, I guess it's time to go," Dr. Mario said, looking at Ryu.

Ryu, however, shook his head. "I'm not leaving. I have to stay here."

Dr. Mario stared at him. "You sure, Ryu?"

Little Mac also stared at him. "Ryu, I'll be fine."

"But what if something happens again?" Ryu asked.

Little Mac sighed. Ryu was right.

Dr. Mario nodded. "All right. Well, goodnight you two." With that, Dr. Mario turned off the lights and he and Nurse Peach walked out.

Ryu turned his head to Little Mac, holding his hand. "I'll watch over you, Little Mac. I won't let anything happen to you."

Little Mac smiled at Ryu's kindness. "Thank you, Ryu…"

* * *

 **Constructive criticism is welcomed!**

 **Beta reader: h34rt1lly**


	14. Final Chapter: Farewell, Ryu

**Final Chapter: Farewell, Ryu**

A month after the Super Macho Man incident, Little Mac noticed that Ryu's side of the room was…empty. During the day, the boxer noticed that Ryu disappeared into their shared room, then came back out with his belongings, taking them somewhere else. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Ryu bring anything _back_ to their room.

Although it seemed like a minor thing, Little Mac was still concerned. What was going on?

Little Mac decided to investigate. After lunch, he approached the door that leaded to their shared room, and he knocked on it.

"Who is it?" Ryu's deep voice called out.

"It's Mac," Little Mac called, "I just wanted to check up on you."

The boxer heard rustling inside before Ryu called out again, "Come in."

Little Mac opened the door and there was Ryu, wiping off sweat from his face. "Hey," Ryu greeted.

"Hey," Little Mac greeted back. "Are you…okay?"

Ryu nodded. "I'm all right. Why do you ask?"

"You've been in our room all day. Are you ill?" Little Mac asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ryu shook his head, a smile on his face. "I'm not. Don't worry about me Mac. Just…cleaning up is all."

The boxer eyed him, not believing his lie. However, he decided not to say anything for now. "All right…well, I'll see you at dinner."

"See you."

When Little Mac left, Ryu breathed a sigh of relief. Sitting down on his bed, he looked down at his feet.

 _Should I…tell him?_ He thought.

* * *

Master Hand was in his office, working on some papers. Today was yet another day where the hand had to accept or deny any letters of confirmation for possible new Smashers.

"Brother?"

Master Hand looked up to see his brother, Crazy Hand, flying in.

"Ah, Crazy," Master Hand smiled—if he could. "What is wrong?"

"Someone wants to see you."

Crazy Hand moved out of the way, and Ryu walked in.

"Oh! Ryu," Master Hand said. "Is something wrong?"

"Hello," Ryu greeted. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Take a seat here," Master Hand said, pointing at the chair in front of his desk.

Ryu sank down onto it, a frown planted on his face. "I've been thinking about this for a while, and…"

Master Hand looked down at him. "And? What is wrong?"

"I…decided to leave the tournament."

Master Hand gasped in shock. "Really? Why?" he asked.

"I'm a wanderer. I'd rather not stay here. I need to become stronger. If I don't leave here, I won't be able to do so."

Master Hand was silent. "Are…you sure? Everyone will miss you. You have fans that would be heartbroken about this. And Little Mac would be depressed if you do leave."

Ryu's eyes widened when Little Mac was mentioned. Master Hand was right—if he did leave, Little Mac would be hurt.

However, his decision still stood.

"I still need to leave, Master Hand. I need to find stronger opponents," Ryu insisted.

Master Hand sighed. "All right. If you insist…" he grabbed a paper that showed Ryu's stats, background information, and a picture of him. He then grabbed a stamp and placed it down on it.

When he lifted the stamp, Ryu could see that the paper now had big, red letters that read: **LEFT**.

"You have one day to leave," Master Hand said. "So you have a chance to say goodbye to everyone."

Ryu nodded. "All right. Thanks, Master Hand."

"You're welcome. Have a safe trip tomorrow."

With that, Ryu left Master Hand's Office. Although he knew he should tell everyone about his inevitable departure, he decided against it.

* * *

 _The next morning…_

The birds chirped as the sun rose, its rays shining on the Mansion's façade yet again, announcing another new day.

Ryu sat up from his bed and turned to see Little Mac, still fast asleep.

Ryu gulped, trying to hold back tears. _I would tell him, but…_ shaking his head, he got up from his bed and quietly grabbed his duffel bag, which contained all of his belongings.

He tiptoed to the door and slowly opened it, shutting it softly behind him before he left.

He didn't realize that Little Mac had been secretly watching him, and when Ryu left the room, he got out of bed and followed him silently.

When Ryu made it outside, he turned around to gaze back at the Mansion one last time.

 _Goodbye, everyone…I hope to return here…one day…_

"Ryu!"

Ryu jumped when he heard a shout from the front doors. He saw Little Mac sprinting down the steps and running towards him.

"Mac?" he questioned.

Little Mac looked up at him. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"I…" Ryu gulped. He was caught, and now he _had_ to tell Little Mac. "I have to leave."

Little Mac's eyes widened in shock. "Why? You were treated well here! If someone was hurting you…"

Ryu shook his head. "No. I decided to leave myself. I want to be stronger. That was why I went on this journey. If I stay here, I won't be able to do that."

"Ryu…" Little Mac growled, tears forming in his eyes. "You're just going to leave me, your closest friend, alone like that without telling me?! Just to go on a journey to become stronger?! HOW SELFISH ARE YOU?!"

Ryu looked down at the boxer. "Mac…"

Tears streamed down the boxer's face as he sobbed, "Ryu…don't leave me alone like this…please…I—MMPH?!"

Before Little Mac could say anything else, Ryu tilted the boxer's chin up, and their lips met. Little Mac blushed hard, but he closed his eyes, accepting the kiss.

After what felt like forever, Ryu broke the kiss. "I'm sorry Mac…remember this." He held him close, tears also streaming down his face. "I love you. I will come back here one day. That is my promise."

"Ryu…" Little Mac sobbed, holding Ryu closer as he cried into his chest. "I-I love you too Ryu!"

Ryu smiled as he let Little Mac go. "Take care, Mac…" he whispered.

"Farewell, Ryu…"

Ryu backed away slowly, before turning around completely and walking towards the forest, disappearing into the trees' shadows. He never once looked back.

Little Mac watched him, tears still falling down his face. However, he smiled. "Come back soon, Ryu. I'll be waiting here…for you, my love."

* * *

 **Whew! What a story!**

 **Yup. This is the end of One Fist Short From Love! Thank you, THANK YOU everyone for faving, following, and reviewing this story. I'm glad that you all enjoyed it.**

 **And most of all, thank you to my beta reader and good friend, h34rt1lly, for looking over the chapters and correcting any mistakes to make them much better! I appreciated all the help, my friend!**

 **Until next time, everyone…see you. :)**


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